Philadelphia's Chris Long Named 2018 Byron “Whizzer” White Community MVP Winner
Defender becomes second straight Eagles player to earn NFLPA’s highest honor for his outreach efforts
For Immediate Release
February 1, 2018
PHILADELPHIA’S CHRIS LONG NAMED 2018 BYRON “WHIZZER” WHITE COMMUNITY MVP WINNER
Defender becomes second straight Eagles player to earn NFLPA’s highest honor for his outreach efforts
MINNEAPOLIS – Philadelphia defensive lineman Chris Long has been named as the recipient of the 2018 Byron “Whizzer” White Community MVP Award. In recognition, the NFL Players Association will donate $100,000 to The Chris Long Foundation.
Long was announced as this year’s winner at the players union’s annual Super Bowl press conference on Thursday. The Whizzer White Community MVP Award is the highest honor that the NFLPA can bestow on a player for his profound dedication to positively impacting his team city and communities across the country in the spirit of the former Supreme Court Justice for which the award is named.
"I am honored to be recognized by my peers and the NFLPA as this year’s Byron “Whizzer” White award recipient,” Long said. “I am just one of many players this season using our platform to impact the world as proven by the work of the other finalists and my teammates. I hope my efforts and the work of other players continues to inspire fans to take action and be difference makers in their communities.”
The Eagles defender elected to play this past season for free after donating his entire salary to benefit educational equality and social justice reform. Long’s first six game checks went to funding a scholarship program at St. Anne’s-Belfield School, where he attended high school in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Then in October, the 10-year veteran announced that he was donating his last 10 game checks to programs that support educational equality in the three team cities where he’s played so far: Philadelphia, Boston and St. Louis. Through the “Pledge 10 for Tomorrow” campaign, he was able to match his own charitable contribution by raising another $1.3 million off of donations by fans and businesses.
These efforts through the Chris Long Foundation, which was established in 2015, marked yet another example of Long’s commitment to using his platform for good and service. After witnessing the suffering in Tanzania while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in 2013, Long started Waterboys two years later, uniting fans and players around the league to raise funds and awareness to build clean water wells in East Africa. As the staple of Long’s foundation, the initiative has built 31 water wells and raised $1.7 million to date while providing 111,000 people in Tanzania with clean water.
Long was chosen as this year’s winner from among five finalists following an electronic ballot vote that was open to all of his NFL peers from across the league. The finalists – Long, Andy Dalton (Cincinnati Bengals), Colin Kaepernick, Von Miller (Denver Broncos) and J.J. Watt (Houston Texans) – were selected by an external committee of judges across labor, media, sport and charity from among the 18 Community MVPs awarded during the regular season.
Long becomes the second Philadelphia Eagle to earn this prestigious honor after his teammate, Malcolm Jenkins, was selected as the 2017 winner.
For more information on the Byron “Whizzer” White Community MVP Award, please visit NFLPA.com/community-mvp.
Previous Byron “Whizzer” White Community MVP Award Winners*:
- 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
- 2012 Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
- 2011 Tony Richardson, New York Jets
- 2010 Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland Raiders
- 2009 Brian Dawkins, Philadelphia Eagles
- 2008 Warrick Dunn, Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Atlanta Falcons
- 2007 John Lynch, Denver Broncos
- 2006 Steve McNair, Tennessee Titans
- 2005 Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
- 2004 Derrick Brooks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 2003 Troy Vincent, Philadelphia Eagles
- 2002 Mark Brunell, Jacksonville Jaguars
- 2001 Michael McCrary, Baltimore Ravens
- 2000 Doug Pelfrey, Cincinnati Bengals
- 1999 Cris Carter, Minnesota Vikings
- 1998 Hardy Nickerson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 1997 Chris Zorich, Chicago Bears
- 1996 Bill Brooks, Buffalo Bills
- 1995 Derrick Thomas, Kansas City Chiefs
- 1994 Mark Kelso, Buffalo Bills
- 1993 Nick Lowery, Kansas City Chiefs
- 1992 Reggie White, Green Bay Packers
- 1991 Mike Kenn, Atlanta Falcons
- 1990 Ozzie Newsome, Cleveland Browns
- 1989 Mike Singletary, Chicago Bears
- 1988 Deron Cherry, Kansas City Chiefs
- 1987 George Martin, New York Giants
- 1986 Nat Moore, Miami Dolphins
- 1985 Reggie Williams, Cincinnati Bengals
- 1984 Rolf Benirschke, San Diego Chargers
- 1983 Doug Dieken, Cleveland Browns
- 1982 Franco Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 1981 Ken Houston, Washington Redskins
- 1980 Gene Upshaw, Los Angeles Raiders
- 1979 Roger Staubach, Dallas Cowboys
- 1978 Archie Manning, New Orleans Saints
- 1977 Lyle Alzado, Denver Broncos
- 1976 Jim Hart, St. Louis Cardinals
- 1975 Rocky Bleier, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 1974 Floyd Little, Denver Broncos
- 1973 Andy Russell, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 1972 Ray May, Baltimore Colts
- 1971 Kermit Alexander, Los Angeles Rams
- 1970 Gale Sayers, Chicago Bears
- 1969 Ed Meador, Los Angeles Rams
- 1968 Willie Davis, Green Bay Packers
- 1967 Bart Starr, Green Bay Packers
*Team listed indicate which team player was on at the time he was awarded
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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.