Ex-Falcon Chuck Wiley working to help student-athletes

"I hate when a kid says ‘I didn't know,'" said Wiley, who played six seasons in the NFL and two with the Falcons (2000-01). "So we try to eliminate the ‘I didn't know' as an excuse."

The events are for children from ages 11 to 18. The symposium is for the high school kids.

Wiley and members of the Phi Kappa Kappa chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity will cover several topics, ranging from accountability and financial literacy to SAT and ACT preparation.

"We'll talk about the consequences of their decisions," Wiley said. "We also talk about NCAA recruiting. ... I think it's been very impactful since we've been doing it."

They expect about 100 kids for the symposium and 200 for the camp. Interested folks can get registration forms online at: www.ques-pkk.org.

Camp counselors will include Indianapolis Colts linebacker Philip Wheeler, former NFL players Natrone Means and Luther Broughton. Also, Georgia Tech defensive tackle Jason Peters and linebacker B.J. Machen are set to work the camp.

The Falcons cheerleaders and Tina Arnold, founder of Stage Ready, will work with the cheerleaders.

“It is important to provide programming opportunities for the youth of metro Atlanta," Wiley said. "We can use sports as a vehicle to help them to understand that the same passion, dedication, and hard work on the field must be transferred to the classroom.”

Wiley, a native of Baton Rouge, played at LSU and was drafted by Carolina in the third round of the 1998 draft.

He needed a change of scenery after tumultuous events in Charlotte. Panthers receiver Rae Carruth was involved in an October 1999 shooting death and later convicted of conspiracy to commit murder. In January 2000, fellow Louisiana native Bobby Phills, a player with the then-Charlotte Hornets, died in a horrific car accident. In July 2000, Panthers running back Fred Lane was shot and killed by his wife.

Wiley landed with the Falcons and brought a home in the metro area. After his stint with the team, Wiley played with the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants. He played in 73 games and made 29 starts.

He started the camp with his foundation, 99 Wayz 2 Win, and merged it with the fraternity's foundation, Project Friendship, after he became a member.

"As long as we touch one kid, we've done our job," Wiley said. "We are trying to impact somebody's life."

At the camp, the campers will have a No. 9 and a No. 58 on their sleeves as a tribute to Steve McNair, who wore No. 9 for the Tennessee Titans and was a member of the Omega fraternity, and former Georgia Tech star and camp counselor Nick Rogers, who died in an auto accident last month.

"We used to work out together," Wiley said. "He was a resident of East Point. We are giving them praise and leaving everything else to the man upstairs."

Perhaps if Bush had attended a camp like this while growing up in San Diego, he would have known about the NCAA rules he's alleged to have broken at USC.