New Ravens cornerback Foxworth wise beyond his years

"His parents, his girlfriend and his teammates all say the same thing about Domonique Foxworth. The Ravens cornerback might look like a 26-year-old, he might run like a 26-year-old, but he thinks and conducts his life like a 40-year-old - always has. His parents considered him more responsible than his brother, who is two years older. His NFL mentor, Champ Bailey, considered him the levelheaded one in their relationship. Whether the subject is President Barack Obama, the role of a black athlete in modern society or the NFL players union's treatment of retired players, Foxworth can deliver a well-crafted opinion.

His ability to react, not with emotion but with a cool assessment of facts and priorities, has carried him through a complicated early career. On the verge of reporting to his first Ravens training camp next month, Foxworth already has endured the violent death of a beloved teammate, frustrating stints on the bench, an abrupt trade and free agency.

In the face of such obstacles, he helped establish a teen center in his murdered friend's name, became the youngest member of the NFL players union's executive committee and earned a $28 million deal with his hometown team.

It would be shortsighted to say he's worldly and thoughtful compared with other football players. Foxworth is worldly and thoughtful compared with most people.

"He's very methodical about everything he does," says Foxworth's father, Lorinzo. "When things come up, you're not going to get an off-the-wall reaction from him. There's going to be a thought-out process that goes into it."

Foxworth's mother, Karen, laughs at her husband's words. "That is directly descended from his father," she says. "They're both old men in young men's bodies."

Lorinzo Foxworth was in the midst of a 20-year Army career when Domonique was born in Oxford, England, in 1983. The family moved to the Baltimore area as he reached kindergarten age and settled in Randallstown. Domonique and his elder brother, Dion, built their existence around sports."

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