Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis has struggled on the field of late, getting benched in the team’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and losing the starting job to Mason Rudolph.
But his on-field struggles have no bearing on the impact Levis is making off the field. On Tuesday, Levis treated 20 Special Olympics athletes to a shopping spree at DICK’S Sporting Goods.
.@Titans QB @will_levis hosted 20 @SpecialOlympics athletes for a holiday shopping spree today at @DICKS in Cool Springs. The children had $200 to spend on items in the store.
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) December 17, 2024
In the video, Levis is seen interacting with each athlete, looking over their purchase or helping them decide what to pick, helping them test out shoes, and praising their choices.
“It’s an organization I’ve been involved with since I was a kid,” he said. “I can remember close family members of ours dealing with someone with special needs and being such a great inspiration to everyone else around them. And it always just made me inspired to work with those athletes and people when I was in a position to make an impact for them.”
Normally we refrain from “I” statements in this business, but I’m going to break that rule today.
As the parent of a Special Olympics athlete, I can personally attest to the direct impact events like this have on our special population. They feel seen, they feel respected, they get to think about something other than whatever health issue they are currently dealing with, and they get to go somewhere that’s not a hospital or doctor’s office. The sheer joy these kids experience at these events is almost enough to counter all of the other nonsense.
So, while it’s unfortunate that Levis hasn’t been able to secure a starting spot with the Titans, this organization should feel privileged to have a guy with this kind of character on their roster.
