Five of the Most Philanthropic Players in the NFL
Professional football players have a reputation as being tough and mean on the field, but once they are off the gridiron, many have hearts of gold. Multiple NFL players are famously philanthropic, donating large sums of money to their favorite charities or starting one of their own. Check out this list for examples of generous NFL players:
DeAngelo Williams
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DeAngelo Williams, a running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, made the news in mid-October for paying for 53 women to have mammograms. According to Sports Illustrated, Williams’ mother died of breast cancer last year at the age of 53. To honor her, he is arranging to pay for the women to have mammograms at a hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Ndamukong Suh
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Ndamukong Suh from the Miami Dolphins may have a less-than-stellar reputation on the field, but he is one of the most philanthropic players in the league’s history. In 2011, Suh donated $2.6 million to the University of Nebraska, his alma mater. Two years later, he donated $250,000 to his high school. He also launched the Ndamukong Suh Family Foundation, which is devoted to promoting the values of health, wellness and education.
Eli Manning
"Eli Manning with clipboard" by AJ Guel - originally posted to Flickr as Playbook. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eli_Manning_with_clipboard.jpg#/media/File:Eli_Manning_with_clipboard.jpg
The quarterback for the New York Giants, along with his wife Abby, raised $2.5 million for the Eli Manning Children’s Clinics at the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children. Like Suh, Manning has a soft spot for his alma mater, donating $1 million to Ole Miss. He is also a generous supporter of national charities, such as the Red Cross and March of Dimes.
Drew Brees
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Brees, the quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, founded the Dream Foundation, a charity that worked to rebuild schools and athletic facilities in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The foundation also offers kids with learning issues an after-school mentoring program.
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Warrick Dunn
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The former star running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be retired, but Warrick Dunn has not slowed down his philanthropic efforts. Through his eponymous Warrick Dunn Charities, he has already given 145 homes to families headed by a single parent. Like Williams, Dunn has also been inspired by personal tragedy. His mom was killed in an armed robbery while working at a second job, so he was inspired to support single parents so they don’t have to work additional jobs to provide for their families.
Jaguars Foundation
Image courtesy of Jaguars Foundation Facebook page
Sometimes an entire football team is part of philanthropic efforts. This is the case with the Jaguars Foundation, led by Jacksonville Jaguars owners Shad Khan and his family. The foundation provides more than $1 million a year in grants and focuses on providing for worthy causes such as military and veteran support, college scholarships and youth programs throughout the Jacksonville area. In addition to financial support, each season the Jaguars Foundation donates more than 11,000 tickets worth more than $450,000. The tickets go to Honor Rows programs and other worthy recipients.