Community MVP
Using their ultra-super powers for good, NFL players around the league have dedicated their lives to protecting their communities and saving the world. When they’re not scoring touchdowns or tackling for loss, NFL players are finding ways to serve their hometowns and team cities – even during the season when time off the field is very limited. Because of this, each week during the regular season, the NFLPA #CommunityMVP program recognizes one player who has demonstrated a commitment to making a positive impact in his community. The weekly Community MVP winners will also become eligible for the NFLPA Alan Page Community (APC) Award, which is the highest honor that the NFLPA can bestow upon a player.
For being named Community MVP, the NFLPA will make a $10,000 donation to the player's foundation or charity of choice. In addition, our new partner Pledge It will set up a crowdfunding campaign where supporters can pledge donations to the player's cause based on their on-the-field performances during the season.
2020 WEEKLY WINNERS
CHECK BACK EVERY FRIDAY OF THE SEASON TO SEE OUR NEW COMMUNITY MVP
Week 5
Harrison Phillips
Buffalo
Harrison Phillips continued his support of the special needs community by hosting a drive-in movie event for 200 families that featured sports play packs, presentations by the police & fire departments and a Zoom chat with the Buffalo defensive lineman.
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Week 4
Oren Burks
Green Bay
Oren Burks used a friendly competition for charity, challenging his fellow Green Bay linebackers to participate in the annual fundraiser for House of Hope Green Bay that generated thousands of dollars for women and children experiencing homelessness.
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Week 3
Landon Collins
Washington
Landon Collins continued his fight against food insecurity by providing 1,500 meals, along with gift cards and other resources, for single-parent families in need across Virginia and Washington D.C.
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Week 2
Rodney McLeod
Philadelphia
Rodney McLeod wants to make sure everybody eats – AND votes. The Philadelphia Eagles safety had 40,000 pounds (2,000 bags!) of fresh food delivered to the local Share Food Program and provided voter registration on site for families.
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Week 1
Cameron Heyward
Pittsburgh
To honor the legacy of his late grandfather, Cam Heyward installed his first Little Free Library, providing 24-7 access to the treasures of reading while promoting literacy for underserved Pittsburgh communities.
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Week 0
Kevin Byard
Tennessee
Kevin Byard got his Nashville community into the school spirit by personally packing and distributing 300 distance learning kits of school supplies, essential hygiene items, gift cards for families in need.
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Past Winners
2020 - Brandon Copeland, New York Jets
2019 - Andrew Whitworth, Los Angeles Rams
2018 - Chris Long, Philadelphia Eagles
2017 - Malcolm Jenkins, Philadelphia Eagles
2016 - Thomas Davis, Carolina Panthers
2015 - Chad Greenway, Minnesota Vikings
2014 - Anquan Boldin, San Francisco 49ers
2013 - Charlie Batch, Pittsburgh Steelers
PAST WINNERS
Alan Page Community Award
Half Pro Football Hall of Farmer, half Minnesota Supreme Court associate justice, Alan Page has always used his powers for good.
On the field, Page was an unstoppable force, swallowing up quarterbacks and opponents in his hulking grip as part of the Minnesota Vikings' defensive line - better known as the "Purple People Eaters." Possessing an endurance that was out of this world, the All-Pro lineman played in 218 consecutive games and, in 1971, became the first player to win both the Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards in the same season. Along the way, he was never afraid to fight for justice in the league. As an NFLPA player rep (1970-74, 76-77) and member of the union’s Executive Committee (1972-75), Page ensured that player rights were protected and advanced.
Gridiron great by day and legal scholar by night, Page earned his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School and worked at a law firm while still playing in the NFL. After hanging up his cleats in 1981, he soared up the legal ladder until becoming the first African-American elected to the Minnesota Supreme Court, where he served from 1992 to 2015.
Although he’s retired from football and the bench, Page is still fighting for good. Through The Page Education Foundation, which was founded by him and his late wife Diane, minority students are provided with financial and mentoring assistance in exchange for the students’ commitment to engage in community volunteer work.
Partners
Your Sidekicks
The Robin to your Batman. The Pumbaa to your Timon. You couldn't do the great work you do in your community without a supporting cast. These are your presenting partners.
Rules & Conditions
Each week during the regular season, we will recognize one active NFL player who has demonstrated a commitment to making a positive impact in his community. For being named Community MVP, the NFLPA will make a $10,000 donation to the player's foundation or charity of choice. In addition, our new partner Pledge It will set up a crowdfunding campaign where supporters can pledge donations to the player's cause based on their on-the-field performances during the season. The weekly Community MVP winners will also become eligible for the annual Alan Page Community Award, which is the highest honor that the NFLPA can bestow upon a player.
Community MVPs will be selected by a committee of NFLPA staff. Community MVPs will be announced on Friday of each week in order to gain maximum promotional exposure. Each week’s runner-ups will be recognized by name and with a photo and description of their charity work on the following Tuesday in a social media post. Once a player has been named Community MVP, he is not eligible to win again during the same season. Players will vary by positions and by NFL teams.
Players must meet the following criteria to be considered for Community MVP: Charitable/community initiative is organized and led by an individual player and/or his foundation (not an NFL team or sponsor-led initiative). Player should be active with a specific cause or through his foundation. The community/charitable initiative should have taken place within the one-week period (Thursday of the preceding week to Wednesday of the current week) before the Community MVP is announced. Player should have participated in recent community work or held other recent events. From the pool of weekly Community MVPs, a distinguished panel of judges will choose five finalists for the Alan Page Community Award, each of whom will receive an additional $10,000. From those five finalists, the active player membership will vote for the APC Award winner, who will receive $100,000 for his foundation or charity of choice.