FOOTBALL IN HIGH HEELS: JAGUAR GETS REWARDED
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Kelvin Beachum has been named Week 15 NFLPA Community MVP for his impactful outreach efforts to end hunger in America and promote education.
As a 6-foot-3, 316-pound offensive lineman, Beachum admittedly eats a lot of food. But greed is not what fuels the large appetite of the Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman. If anything, it’s a constant reminder of the problem facing America, where more than 16 million children and 12 million families are going hungry.
The five-year veteran especially took that mission to heart during the holiday season, pouring his time and resources into families across three different parts of the country.
Beachum’s outreach tour began on Dec. 13, when he visited Tiger Academy to host a holiday pizza party for students who are excelling in reading at the Jacksonville school.
As a seventh-round draft pick in who quickly worked his way up the depth chart — first with the Pittsburgh Steelers and now with the Jaguars – Beachum shared three lessons that he has learned along the way: Give great effort; communicate any needs that you have; and listen, because listening is a skill.
He went on to award scholarships to three young men from the Johnson YMCA to attend winter camp at Camp Immokalee in December.
“God calls us to serve our communities,” Beachum said. “In glorifying Him, I feel compelled to encourage others, especially young people, by advocating education, faithful devotion and being of service to others.”
The left tackle’s faithful devotion to his hometown of Mexia, Texas is often on display, as he sponsors a monthly mobile food pantry. On Dec. 15, in partnership with the Central Texas Food Bank, Beachum held a special holiday distribution that provided turkeys and fresh food for 147 households.
Two days later, Beachum was back at it, sponsoring a food distribution that provided turkeys for families in the northeast Florida community.
“While nearly 43 million Americans still confront hunger on a daily basis, we can realistically hope to see the end of hunger in our lifetime,” Beachum said. “Each action taken to support those facing food insecurity helps in our quest to end hunger, one community at a time.”
Since entering the NFL in 2012, Beachum has made an impact across both the country and the world, partnering with STEM education and hunger relief programs in Pittsburgh, California and Texas. In 2015, he visited with Congress in Washington, D.C. to address ending global hunger, and last year, Beachum visited Honduras to help the World Vision program install computer labs at area schools.
“I was raised in a family where serving the community was a daily routine,” Beachum said. “It is a blessing to be able to provide hope and love to those who need it most.”
On behalf of our sponsor Delta Private Jets, the NFLPA will make an in-kind donation to Beahum and his charity of choice for being named this week’s Community MVP. Visit our website to read more and see photos from Beachum’s outreach work.
The NFLPA Community MVP program recognizes NFL players who are making a positive impact in their local communities. Each week during the regular season, the NFLPA will celebrate one active NFL player who has demonstrated a commitment to giving back to his community.
About the NFL Players Association:
The National Football League Players Association is the union for professional football players in the National Football League. Established in 1956, the NFLPA has a long history of assuring proper recognition and representation of players’ interests. The NFLPA has shown that it will do whatever is necessary to assure that the rights of players are protected—including ceasing to be a union, if necessary, as it did in 1989. In 1993, the NFLPA again was officially recognized as the union representing the players, and negotiated a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL. The current CBA will govern the sport through 2020. Learn more at www.nflpa.com.