County natives Otis Simpson Jr., and Jaheem Norman are calling on all local athletes to join The Carolina Ravens, a burgeoning team that will serve as a springboard into the semipro football leagues.

Anyone who knows Simpson and Norman, are aware that they are passionate about the game of football. So much so that the duo, who are also close cousins, are among the most recognizable players at Plymouth’s annual Turkey Bowl football event.

Aside from their appearances at the annual Thanksgiving bout, both cousins were promising student athletes whose love of the game has persisted long after adulthood and the working world called them elsewhere. In this way, both men understand the tug-of-war between life’s responsibilities and the burning passion to return to the field, do what they love best, and be recognized for it.

Fortunately, there is an avenue for men such as themselves who are still possessed by the game and still have the athletic chops to give and take hits with the best of them.

For Simpson, playing semi-pro is already a reality and he is eager to bring others from Washington County into the fold.

Simpson is a signed semipro player for the Arena Football One League (previously Arena Football League) as part of the Carolina Predators team from Wake Forest. As such, he is eager to bring others into the fold and share in the opportunities the league provides.

“The semipro’s are basically for the guys that really love the game, but may not have had exactly what it took back in high school to take their games where they wanted to be,” Simpson says. “Semipro gives you the opportunity to showcase your skills and improvements to different leagues. Of course there’s a lot of younger guys, but it’s also really good for us older boys out there who still have what it takes to go hard and still love the game...”