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Charity & NFL: Top 8 Footballers Giving Back to the Community

Charity & NFL: Top 8 Footballers Giving Back to the Community
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James C.J.
 @ August 9th, 2022

We love famous people who give back to the community. 

Why? 

Because true sportsmanship is teamwork and supporting your team in times of need. Many sports players actively engage in some form of charity or another. However, there’s always a player, or in this case, 8, who takes it to the next level. 

We’re going to take a look at charity done by some of the top football players in the NFL. So let’s take a look at who walks the walk and spends their time giving back to the community. It’s not a competition, so we’re not ranking these on who’s the best at the charity. These are just eight players who show love both on and off the field. 

Travis Kelce

So what is Travis Kelce’s charitable claim to fame? Well, the Kansas City Chief tight end is committed to several charitable causes in Kansas City. Kelce spends most of his efforts working with kids in low-income areas in the city. 

Travis Kelce partnered with Operation Breakthrough, the organization that helps families with low incomes. His efforts are personal and on the ground, as well as financial. He’s not only spent time with some of the families but also donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cause. 

The tight end is keeping his efforts up by promoting childhood education through measures that include helping disadvantaged kids gain access to education, STEM, and arts programs. Since the beginning of Covid-19, Kelce’s efforts have helped north of 2,300 children with remote learning and tutoring. 

Saquon Barkley

Saquon Barkley is a running back for the New York Giants. Beyond a football career, the running back is known for his work in charitable causes. His charitable contributions are a little more all over the place in comparison to players like Travis Kelce, who focuses on low-income families. Barkley, for years, has donated to the Covenant House out in New Jersey. Covenant House is known for helping the poor people of the area through long-term housing, shelter, and crisis support. 

Beyond the Covenant House, he’s also worked to raise funds and awareness for 22q, a rare genetic disease. During the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic, Barkley made a real effort to spread his efforts. He raised money through Pepsi’s corporation campaign ‘Give Meals, Give Hope’ and delivered meals to kids who relied on school lunches. Building on that, he’s committed himself to the fight against child hunger in partnership with Pepsi. 

Myles Garrett

Myles Garrett is a Cleveland Browns defensive end and fierce social justice advocate. He’s made a name for himself on the field, but more importantly for his efforts off the field. He’s heavily involved in helping victims and families affected by police brutality, even paying off funeral costs. 

Another cause he’s a big advocate of is universal access to clean water. He works closely with the Waterboys Organization, which works to bring clean water to communities around the world. Garret has made numerous donations to the organization through challenges where he pays $5000 for every sack he makes and even got the Cleveland area to get involved!

Sam Hubbard

The Cincinnati Bengal defensive end Sam Hubbard is definitely a known-contributor to charitable causes. In 2021 he received the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award for his efforts both on and off the football field. This award is given to NFL players who show exceptional service to charitable causes and, of course, their performance as football players.

Hubbard has his own foundation, The Sam Hubbard Foundation, which works in Ohio to combat hunger for low-income and at-risk children and families. They also provide medical, educational, and athletic resources to underserved communities. In addition, he hosts football camps, food drives, and numerous other events. He’s got drive and purpose to spare, and he throws that into charity.

Jalen Ramsey

Jalen Ramsey is best known as the cornerback for the Los Angeles Rams. Beyond the field, he’s a significant player in the philanthropic scene, making sure to serve those less fortunate than himself. Ramsey celebrated his 27th birthday by launching a hunger relief campaign. He partnered with The Athlete’s Corner and called his initiative Feeding Families With Jalen Ramsey. 

How he operated the contributions was to put himself on notice. The rules were clear: for every interception, forced fumble, or sack by the defensive line, he’d provide 5,000 meals would be provided to LA families. In addition, for every recorded play by Ramsey, that number would double to 10,000.

In the 2021 season, after the tally was done, the initiative provided over 305,000 meals! Beyond hunger relief, Ramsey does a lot more to help out the community. He’s involved in education, character development, and cancer-related causes and has donated to schools and causes outside of LA. 

Ndamukong Suh

Ndamukong Suh is a defensive tackle, but he’s not signed to a team at the moment. He’s played for the Detroit Lions (2010 – 2014), Miami Dolphins (2015 – 2017), Los Angeles Rams (2018), and most recently the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019 – 2021). Suh has long been a big spender for charitable causes. Some of his contributions have mainly dealt with education, such as a 2.6 million dollar gift to the University of Nebraska. It was split between the athletic division, which received 2 million dollars, and the grant store for the College of Engineering, which received 600 thousand dollars. 

On the side, he’s got some other causes he donates to, like his own foundation, the Ndamukong Suh Family Foundation. He’s an in-demand player, so he will likely get even more money to spend on charity in the future.

Tom Bradey

We all know Tom Bradey far too well, but are we aware of his charity efforts? Brady, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, has done extensive work helping with charities surrounding food insecurity supplementation. Specifically, in 2020, Brady was a part of the ‘All-In Challenge.’ This challenge aimed to raise money for four charities; Meals on Wheels, No Kid Hungry, Feeding America, and World Central Kitchen. His efforts brought in 100 million dollars. 

Brady’s a dedicated quarterback, but more importantly, he’s dedicated to charitable causes. He’s associated with several charities such as KaBOOM!, Best Buddies International, Boys and Girls Club of America, and the Entertainment Industry Foundation. 

Russel Wilson

We’re not saying there’s ever meant to be a winner, but Russel Wilson ticks all the right boxes. The quarterback for the Denver Broncos is a well-known philanthropist. Where to even begin? Let’s start with his weekly visits to the Seattle Children’s Hospital during off days from NFL season. He’s also donated over 1 million dollars to the Seattle Children’s Hospital through the Why Not You Foundation under a program titled ‘Strong Against Cancer.’

He’s heavily involved in Seattle with the youth, hosting football camps called the Wilson Passing Academy. Funds raised through this academy are donated to the Charles Ray III Diabetes Association.  

Beyond children, he frequently meets with army soldiers at the local military base. In addition, he hosts charity golf tournaments annually in Washington state. Finally, during the pandemic, he and his wife donated a million meals to those in need through a partnership with Food Lifeline. Wilson is heavily involved with numerous causes and charities. He’s a great example of giving back to the community that made you and beyond. 

Conclusion

These are some of the most charitable NFL players in the game, but they’re far from the only ones. So many top-tier NFL players work hard, giving back to the community and sharing their good fortunes. Considering how many NFL players have come from nothing, not forgetting where you came from and supporting these communities could result in future NFL players. 

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