RODNEY MCLEOD NAMED 2022 NFLPA ALAN PAGE COMMUNITY AWARD WINNER

LOS ANGELES – The NFL Players Association announced Rodney McLeod as the recipient of the 2022 Alan Page Community Award at its annual Super Bowl press conference on Wednesday. In recognition, the NFLPA will donate $100,000 to McLeod’s Change Our Future foundation.

“I am humbled to receive such a prestigious award,” McLeod said. “This award is truly all about the community; and when I hear the word ‘community,’ unity, hope and love also come to mind.”

As the NFLPA’s highest honor, the Alan Page Community Award annually recognizes one player who demonstrates a profound dedication to positively impacting his team’s city and communities across the country, following in the spirit of the Pro Football Hall of Famer and social pioneer for whom the award is named. Each year’s winner is selected by their NFL peers, who cast their vote for one of the award’s five finalists via electronic ballot.

McLeod personified the values of compassion and generosity in a number of ways this season. In December, the Philadelphia Eagles defensive back hosted his foundation’s inaugural Art & Sole Sneaker Ball, where more than $205,000 was raised to update STEM and Black history curriculum in local schools. The event also collected 150 toys and 250 new pairs of shoes to donate to families in need for the holidays.

This past fall, the 10-year veteran adopted Constitution High School and Hill-Freedman World Academy, pledging $20,000 toward educational programs, focus groups and curriculum. To maximize the impact of this funding, McLeod held a listening session with students during his school visit to gather feedback on their areas of need.

This season marked the second consecutive year that McLeod earned NFLPA Community MVP honors for his charitable outreach. In 2020, the Super Bowl champion delivered 40,000 pounds of fresh food to the local Share Food program and provided voter registration on site to families. Additionally, he donated $25,000 to the Philabundance food bank during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide meals for those struggling with hunger.

“I hope stories like mine will inspire others to pour back into their communities, forming leaders of change,” McLeod said. “Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.”

All of McLeod’s efforts stem from the mission of his foundation, Change Our Future, which he co-founded in 2020 with his wife Erika. Together, their goal is to empower others through education, advocacy and awareness in the areas of youth development, healthy lifestyles and community enrichment.

Since 2014, the NFLPA Community MVP program has honored one player each week during the regular season for his outreach efforts. Each of the 18 NFLPA Community MVPs is awarded $10,000 for his foundation or charity of choice and commits to making a virtual visit to a school or children’s hospital as a way to encourage their youngest fans. The winners also become eligible for the NFLPA Alan Page Community Award, whose five finalists are determined by an external committee of judges across labor, media, sport and charity.

This year, in building off the program’s theme, our supporting partner HEARTLENT Group created a limited-edition illustration of each Community MVP posing as a superhero in a toy box that highlighted their charitable works. Additionally, our supporting partner Aldine Sports Association made T-shirts and hoodies featuring each illustration. The apparel is being sold on its website, with a portion of all proceeds going toward the player’s foundation or charity of choice.

For more information about the Alan Page Community Award, the Community MVP program and its supporting partners (HEARTLENT Group, Aldine Sports Association, Wheels Up and Cheurlin Champagne), please visit nflpa.com/community-mvp.

Previous NFLPA Alan Page Community Award Winners*

2021 Hayden Hurst, Atlanta Falcons

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

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 indicates 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 the 2030 NFL season. Learn more at www.nflpa.com.