New England's Hunter Henry Named Week 6 NFLPA Community MVP
New England's Hunter Henry Named Week 6 NFLPA Community MVP
Washington, D.C. — Hunter Henry has been selected as the Week 6 NFLPA Community MVP after raising more than $220,000 to help combat human trafficking and modern-day slavery through his second annual "Freedom to Play" ping pong tournament.
“I’m thankful to be honored and excited to continue to bring awareness to end human trafficking across the globe,” Henry said.
On October 12, the New England Patriots tight end and his wife, Parker, partnered with International Justice Mission (IJM) to bring together community members, supporters and local professional athletes to raise awareness for human trafficking, educate attendees and support IJM’s mission to protect people from violence worldwide. Henry’s teammates Drake Maye, Kevin Byard III, Behren Morton, Tanner Arkin, Eli Raridon, Bryce Baringer and TreVeyon Henderson were also in attendance at SPIN Boston to compete and support this critical cause.
Henry’s involvement with IJM began during his time with the Los Angeles Chargers after being selected by them in the 2016 NFL Draft. He has since served as an ambassador for IJM’s “Team Freedom,” which uses the global power of sports to protect people in poverty from human trafficking and slavery.
His dedication to the mission was on display during last season’s My Cause My Cleats campaign. Henry wore custom cleats designed by Daniel Nartey, a survivor of child slavery in Ghana, to share Nartey’s story and highlight his journey to freedom. Additionally, in 2025, Henry and his wife traveled to Kenya to meet with survivors of child slavery and human trafficking and work alongside law enforcement to advocate for justice.
Beyond his international advocacy with IJM, Henry remains committed to supporting at-risk children and families in his own community. In 2023, he hosted a holiday party at Gillette Stadium for 75 children in need, each of whom received a wrapped gift selected from their holiday wish list. Last offseason, Henry also hosted an event in recognition of National Foster Care Month, providing more than 50 children in New England’s foster care system with bicycles for the summer.
In honor of Henry’s selection as the Week 6 NFLPA Community MVP and to further support his off-field impact, the NFLPA will donate $10,000 to the International Justice Mission. Additionally, Henry and the rest of this season’s Community MVPs will be eligible for the Alan Page Community Award, which is the NFLPA’s highest player honor for outstanding community service and includes an additional $100,000 donation.
For the second year in a row, the NFLPA is partnering with GoFundMe, the world’s leading fundraising platform, allowing fans to support players’ community efforts and through their selected nonprofits. To contribute to the International Justice Mission, please visit this donation page. All donations are tax-deductible and will go directly to the organization.
Back for its 13th season, the NFLPA’s award-winning Community MVP program serves as a driving force behind the union’s commitment to highlight the year-round civic outreach and community engagement of its player members. Community MVPs are selected by a committee of NFLPA staff that reviews the nominees submitted each week by players, agents, marketing representatives and NFL team staff. Learn more about the NFLPA Community MVP program here.
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About the NFL Players Association:
The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) is the union for professional football players in the NFL and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. Established in 1956, the NFLPA has a long history of protecting the health, safety and financial future of its more than 2,000 player members, who are the backbone of North America’s most popular and highest revenue-generating sport. Through a wide offering of programs, resources and engagement opportunities, the NFLPA provides world-class service to players throughout their career lifecycle and builds solidarity to advocate on their behalf in the areas of healthcare, revenue, compensation and working conditions. The current CBA will govern the sport through the 2030 season. Learn more at nflpa.com.