Giving back NFL players 'doing the right thing': outside the lines, they make major contributions in the community

Ebony, Feb, 2005 by Shirley Henderson

NFL players are using their star power outside the football arena to spotlight national issues such as struggling single mothers, child abuse, education, diabetes, obesity and sickle cell anemia.

These philanthropic MVPs are scoring big off the field by giving their time and financial contributions to support fund-raisers, schools and hospitals, and children's camps.

Among the NFL players lending their names and efforts to worthwhile causes is Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, spokesperson for the American Diabetes Association. In 2003, he presented the American Diabetes Association with a check for $150,000. He also started the Donovan McNabb Foundation to bring attention to diabetes, one of the leading killers of African-Americans in the country, and the Donovan McNabb Golden Arm Scholarship for students who maintain a 2.5-plus GPA at Mt. Carmel High School in Chicago, where he went to school.

Other players have also started foundations to help make a difference in the community. Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, former Super Bowl MVP (2000), founded the Ray Lewis Foundation to provide personal and economic assistance to children from disadvantaged communities. The organization raised over $120,000 during the second annual Celebrity Bowling Tournament in 2004.

One of the major foundation heads is 6-foot-6, 300-pound Tennessee Titans defensive end Kevin Carter--a giant in his community and among NFL giants. His namesake foundation has given more than $400,000 to help women, children and students. He and his wife, Shima, founded the Kevin Carter Foundation in August 2002 to focus on character development and incentive programs for inner-city youth. The foundation also hosted a celebrity waiters' dinner that raised $250,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. And Carter started Sacks for Sickle Cell in 2003 to honor the memory of his mother, Virginia, who had the disease.

Another husband-wife team is Kansas City Chiefs guard Will Shields and Senia Shields, who established the Will to Succeed Foundation. The foundation, which has helped 88,000 individuals, offers support for abused and neglected women and children's centers as well as literacy and scholarship programs. The couple has personally given over $300,000 to two organizations, Operation Breakthrough, a day care center, and the Marillac Center for emotionally disturbed children.

Troy Vincent and his wife, Tommi, founded Love Thy Neighbor, a nonprofit organization designed to tackle the inner-city problems in Trenton, N.J., where he grew up. Vincent, cornerback for the Buffalo Bills, donated $61,000 in equipment to Trenton Central High School and $150,000 to the Trenton Recreation Department in 2001.

Oakland Raiders star Ray Buchanan (formerly with the Atlanta Falcons) established the Big Play Ray of Hope Foundation, which funded the first foster home in Georgia for children who rely on life support medications and treatments, and who cannot live in traditional foster homes. Buchanan, who has personally made donations of almost $250,000, also helped the Dream House for Medically Fragile Children purchase new equipment to assist wheelchair-bound kids. His foundation also provides assistance in cases of child abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and missing children.

After witnessing the struggles of his sister, Alecia, Dallas Cowboy Roy Williams founded the Roy Williams Safety Net Foundation to help single mothers raise their children. He also made a $100,000 contribution in 2002 toward a new strength-training facility at the University of Oklahoma.

Another program for single mothers is Warrick Dunn's Home for the Holidays. The Atlanta Falcons running back presents single mothers with keys to completely furnished new homes. The program, now in its seventh year, is sponsored by the Warrick Dunn Foundation and has assisted 48 single mothers in Atlanta, Tampa, Fla., and Baton Rouge, La. Dunn started the program because his own mother, who had been a single mother of six children and a police officer, was killed in the line of duty without ever realizing her dream of owning a home.

A number of NFL players sponsor programs for the youth, including Muhsin Muhammad, who has donated $150,000 to his foundation. When the Carolina Panthers wide receiver isn't making plays on the field, he works with 20 youngsters in the Charlotte, N.C., area through his M2 Foundation for Kids, which hosts a back-to-nature camping trip and a back-to-school supply drive.

Another player focusing on young people is Allen Rossum of the Atlanta Falcons. Because obesity is at an all-time high among African-American youths, Rossum and wife Angela established the Healthy Kids Klub Foundation, which works with entire families and provides education on healthy lifestyles, including nutrition and activities. The foundation has raised $100,000 to combat the problem of obesity.

Realizing that children need a safe and creative environment in which to play and be active, Amani Toomer and his wife, Yola, created the Amani Toomer Foundation. The New York Giants star has made a personal contribution of $115,000 to the Toomer Urban Recreation Fund, which has built two playgrounds in New York City.