Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha's offseason routine goes beyond the usual running and lifting.
For the third consecutive year, Asomugha is showing youth from the East Oakland Youth Development Center another part of the country that otherwise might not be available to them.
Asomugha left Oakland on Tuesday with six students on a tour of colleges and historical and cultural sites in New England.
They are due back in California on Sunday after stopping at Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, Berklee College of Music and Brown.
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Freedom Trail, Paul Revere's home and Berklee's Singer Showcase were other planned excursions.
Another stop was a Boston Celtics game and meeting with EOYDC alumnus and former Cal star Leon Powe.
Last year's tour was in Atlanta. In 2006, Asomugha and his young charges went fishing at Sugar Creek in Northern California near the Oregon border.
"It's not something that I've said I'm going to do every year; it's just worked out that way," Asomugha said.
Asomugha funds the trips himself; amounts were not available.
This offseason is different than most for Asomugha. He was named the Raiders' exclusive franchise player in February, guaranteeing him $9.465 million in 2008 and preventing him from negotiating with other teams.
He has worked out in Los Angeles while awaiting completion of a deal with the Raiders.
"I'm just letting (agent) Steve (Baker) handle it," Asomugha said.
The destinations for Asomugha's educational tours are are fueled by his own curiosity.
"What it speaks to is his passion for youth," said EOYDC director Regina Jackson, who traveled with the group to New England. "While the kids get so much from Nnamdi, he is enriched, too."
The idea for this year's trip emerged while Asomugha participated in the NFL's business program for players at Harvard.
"It's just (spur of the moment)," Asomugha said. "The funny thing about it is, the Atlanta trip, I had never been to Atlanta (besides playing there), so I said if I'm going (on a trip), let's see if I can go there."
Draft dealing?
The Raiders have five selections in the NFL draft, which begins with the first and second rounds next Saturday.
In addition to the fourth overall pick, the Raiders have one fourth-round choice, one sixth-rounder and two seventh-rounders.
Raiders coach Lane Kiffin indicated last month that trading down from the fourth pick in the first round is possible.
That would be consistent with the Raiders' approach last year, when they made several deals. They traded this year's third-round pick to draft tackle Mario Henderson in the same round and traded down in the second round to land the player they targeted that round, tight end Zach Miller.
Read Jason Jones' Raiders' blog at www.sacbee.com/blogs.
