Suffolk man living his dream as security supervisor for favorite NFL team
SUFFOLK, Va. July 17 2022 A Suffolk man is rising in the ranks of sports security.
Suffolk Native Geral ‘Bishop’ Staten volunteered as an announcer for the King’s Fork High School basketball teams, and now he’s landed his dream job with the Baltimore Ravens.
Staten went from the biggest Ravens fan out there to Staff Security Supervisor of the Service Level at M&T Bank Stadium.
“Out of all the nos in my life, I only needed one yes, and Baltimore gave me that yes,” said Staten.
Bishop will manage all security for the field level, the locker rooms, the club level and the coaches offices this year.
However, he didn’t know this was his dream job, until one night after a big win.
“Our General Manager Eric DeCosta was walking out to his car and I said, ‘wait a minute, you’re not walking by yourself, you are my general manager, I am gonna treat you like my own’,” said Staten.
Bishop then applied for a security job but didn’t think he’d get it because of his record.
He’s served time for assault and battery and hoped Baltimore would look beyond his past.
“I wrote a letter of grace, transparency and honesty to Baltimore and let them know, hey, I’ve been through some things in my life, very bad things, but I wouldn’t be the same person I am today knowing that brought me to who I am today,” said Staten.
After he was released, Bishop turned his life around.
He ran for mayor in 2016, and though he wasn’t elected, he was the youngest person to ever run.
He’s now a PA announcer for the Kings Fork High School Basketball Teams in Suffolk.
He says even with his new security job, he still plans to commute back and forth between Suffolk and Baltimore to give back to Kings Fork on the court this year.
“I’m gonna give ’em all I got, ‘Ed Carr the 6’1” All-American,” and give it the arena feel because these kids deserve it,” said Staten. “These are some of the things that I wanted when I was coming up and I never really had the opportunity.”
Showing it only takes one ‘yes’ to turn your life around.
“God saved my life, but Baltimore changed my life,” said Staten.
Bishop’s security job duties have already started at M&T Bank Stadium, even though it isn’t football season yet!
He’s helping out with the Arsenal v. Everton soccer game this weekend and he’s also been helping out at Camden Yards for a few Orioles Games as well.
