In the NFL, trash talk between opposing sides can often get extremely nasty. And that’s why it always warms the heart on those rare occasions when you see two opposing fan bases come together. Buffalo Bills fans, who playfully call themselves the “Bills Mafia,” have launched a GoFundMe drive to benefit Breakthrough T1D, a charity focusing on type 1 diabetes research and advocacy. They are a non-profit group championed by Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, who is himself a diabetic.
After Andrews was unable to catch the potentially game-tying 2-point conversion attempt last weekend, in the Ravens’ 27-25 divisional playoff loss at the Bills, he was subjected to an egregiously high level of online abuse. He even received a large amount of death threats.
In a show of sympathy and support for the Ravens tight end, the Bills Mafia started the charity drive to raise $5,000 for juvenile diabetes research. As of this writing, Sunday afternoon, January 26th, they have raised $142,524! Now, the charity drive has a new goal: $160,000.
Given the traction this story is getting, one has to feel pretty confident that they’ll reach the new benchmark. Given the adversity the three-time Pro Bowler has been through lately, it’s terrific to see some good news come his way.
Andrews is more than just the all-time Ravens franchise touchdown leader. He’s a genuinely lovely guy who saved a woman’s life earlier this season. And the good guys in the NFL don’t really get as much publicity as they should.
Houston Texans linebacker Neville Hewitt is another NFL player who is doing great things off the field, but those good deeds usually go unnoticed.
He dedicated his “My Cause, My Cleats” footwear initiative to The Freedom Child Foundation, an organization that helps the children of incarcerated parents.
“It’s cool to be together now, especially after all that we’ve been through, and to be with these kids now,” Hewitt said in an exclusive interview with RG, conducted at a charity event he hosted for local children. “I can inspire them. It was awesome to be with other people with a similar story as mine and give back.”
Another example is Philadelphia Eagles franchise quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is big on raising funding for autism research. He spoke with NBC 10 Philadelphia about why helping children stricken with autism is a cause that is so near and dear to his heart.
