"One day, when Phillips was on his way to help mentor and coach a group of 10-to 12-year-old boys from Syracuse’s inner city, coaches saw him carrying two boxes. When asked what he had, Thomas, a product of one of Miami’s tougher neighborhoods, said he’d gone up to SU’s Skytop apartments where he collected shoes for some of the boys because they didn’t have the proper footwear. 'Then you know you’re doing the right thing,' Marrone said Wednesday at a news conference announcing SU’s second year of involvement with the charity effort founded by former NFL linebacker Riki Ellison."