The NFL has come under increasing scrutiny and pressure here of late, due to a rash of troubles ranging from domestic violence to concussions, and while in many minds the league remains beleaguered, it’s worth noting that, in addition to providing us with countless hours of some fantastic football, there are still plenty of players who are doing more than their part to not only play hard each and every week, but also inspire fans and foes alike because of their efforts that lead them to help others, overcome obstacles, and much more. For the NFL fan who needs a little cheering up, here are some of the most inspiring players in the NFL.
Derrick Coleman
A fullback for the Seattle Seahawks, Derrick Coleman is an excellent blocker, who also convincingly runs the ball whenever he’s called upon to do so. Oh, and he also has a Super Bowl XLVIII ring. While there are plenty of other professional fullbacks who can claim similar abilities and bling, not one of them has ever had to work around 21 other hulking, shouting, competitive men as a deaf person.
Derrick Coleman, however, has had to do that his entire life and football career. The only player in the NFL who is deaf, Coleman is the third deaf person to ever don a jersey for a National Football League team. Overcoming the doubts of others in the game has been more of a challenge for Coleman than overcoming his disability. He went undrafted in 2012, and, after a brief stint with the Minnesota Vikings, made his way onto the roster for the Seahawks, where he helped them secure a stellar season and a Super Bowl victory last year.
Devon Still
Originally cut from the Cincinnati Bengals, Still was placed back on the team’s practice roster when they learned that Still’s daughter, Leah, had pediatric cancer. By placing doing so, the Bengals not only allowed Still to continue drawing a paycheck playing the sport he loves, but they also ensured that he was able to keep his insurance so that Leah could get the care she needed.
In addition, Still and the Bengals have brought a massive amount of awareness to childhood cancer, and with the sale of Still’s jersey going to support childhood cancer research at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, as much as $1 million will be raised to battle the disease Still’s four-year-old daughter is struggling to defeat.
Brian Banks
While this season finds him working for the NFL instead of playing for it, Brian Banks still remains one of the most inspiring players in the game today. Undrafted in 2007, Banks was wrongfully convicted of rape, and he spent five years in prison for the crime before he was finally exonerated. He has been upfront and articulate about his struggles with anger, negativity, and self-pity, and his resolve to change his attitude and still pursue his dream of playing professional football continue to inspire those around him.
Nnamdi Asomungha
A formidable defender, Asomugha has garnered as much attention for his philanthropic efforts as he has for his football skills. He founded the Asomugha Foundation in 2005 with his family to help support two of his pet programs: Orphans and Widows in Need (OWIN) and the Asomugha College Tour for Scholars (ACTS). OWIN helps Nigerian women and children with food, shelter, education, training, and medicine in order to help them improve their lives — something that is very close to Asomungha’s heart since Nigeria is his home country. ACTS is a mentoring program based in San Francisco and Los Angeles that focuses on high-performing poor students, in order to get them better prepared for college and community service.
Madieu Williams
Madieu Williams is one of the NFL’s best free agents. He has almost 600 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 13 interceptions and four forced fumbles, but it’s the person he is off the field that tends to generate the biggest headlines. Named the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2011, Williams cares deeply about others. After leaving his home country of Sierra Leone at age nine, Williams and his family settled in Maryland, where he started playing football. From supporting at-risk children through his foundation both in the United States and Sierra Leone to a $2 million donation to the University of Maryland to help create the Madieu Williams Center for Global Health Initiatives, his work around the world is far-reaching and will continue long after he retires from football.
The NFL often generates inspiring plays and breathless moments, and while that will always be the primary reason millions of eyes watch faithfully every week, it’s encouraging to note that the league has people like these five players, who — due to both choice and circumstance — spend their lives making the world a better, more peaceable place.
Disclaimer: The above is a sponsored post. The publisher was compensated for its placement.