Former Syracuse Football Player Luke Cain: From The Carrier Dome To The Street Corner

For every Donovan McNabb or Chandler Jones, there are about 20 Syracuse Orange football players who fade into the ether after graduating, rarely to be heard from again. Luke Cain was one of those players.

Cain's time at Syracuse was decent-if-not-memorable. He had potential but off-field issues derailed most of his career. He was able to make the most of his senior season, starting 11 games. He also made an impression of some of his fellow SU students and was perceived as a good guy. All of that makes the news that he's currently panhandling in downtown Syracuse six years removed from his playing days all the more depressing.

Cain told CNY Central's Jim Kenyon that he has been asking for handouts from passersby on the corner of Jefferson and Warren Streets for the past year and a half. He lives at the Oxford Inn shelter for homeless men.

Cain has problems with his communication skills and memory, so it is unclear exactly what caused him to end up homeless and begging for money on the streets of Syracuse.

According to the article by CNY Central, Syracuse is aware of Cain's plight and helped place him in the shelter. Seems like a fantastic opportunity for SU football to reach out and help Cain further while also allowing him to speak to the current players.

Regardless, if you see Cain in Syracuse, make sure you say hi, throw him a few bones if you can and help out a guy who sacrificed to make your Saturdays a little more fun. And if anyone knows of any ways TNIAAM can help, let me know.