REal Life EMPOWERED (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780989637749)

Marquis "Bo" Porter is living proof that if given a bridge of opportunity, REal Excellence can be achieved. He is blessed with fortitude, a burning desire to attain high levels of achievement in all sectors of his life, and the work ethic it takes to accomplish and sustain success. Bo Porter was born and raised in the heart of inner-city Newark, New Jersey, where he faced many obstacles and long odds of overcoming his environment and the circumstances surrounding his upbringing. Bo had tremendous family support, but circumstances outside of his control placed road blocks all around the trajectory of his future success. A true blessing from God in the form of a kind gesture from a neighborhood friend was the "hand up" that opened a world of opportunity for Bo. Once given that chance, Bo made the most of the opportunity and is now living the once unthinkable All-American dream. Porter was an outstanding athlete while at Weequahic High School and the University of Iowa, where he starred in baseball and football and earned his Bachelor's degree in Communications Studies. Porter was originally selected by the Cubs and went on to hit 113 home runs with 503 RBI and 236 stolen bases in 10 minor league seasons. During his professional playing career, Porter played in the Major Leagues as an outfielder for the Chicago Cubs, Oakland A's and Texas Rangers. Porter made his coaching debut when he served as hitting coach for Class A Greensboro of the South Atlantic League. His first stint as a manager was when he skippered the Marlins' Jamestown club of the New York-Penn League. He then served three seasons as third base coach and outfield/base running instructor with the Florida Marlins, two seasons as third base coach for the Washington Nationals and a season as third base coach and bench coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He then was named the 17th manager for Houston Astros. He has also coached for the Atlanta Braves. He has over 20 years of experience as a player, coach and manager in the Major and Minor leagues. In his baseball career, he has played for five different MLB organizations, been moved between the major and minor leagues several times and has coached for five MLB teams. In circumstances such as these, it can be difficult to maintain a sense of stability. As a Bible believing Christian who has accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior, Bo realizes that it doesn't matter how many times his address changes; his home will always stay the same.