Browns players highlight charitable causes through NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign (12.8.21)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 8, 2021
BEREA, Ohio – As part of the NFL’s annual My Cause My Cleats campaign, more than 30 Browns players will share powerful stories and inspiration through custom cleat designs with signature meanings during pregame and/or throughout the team’s matchup against the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium.
The My Cause My Cleats campaign, launched in 2016, is a connection between the NFL and players allowing them to don their art and represent their respective philanthropic organizations, passions and movements through unique designs in stadiums across the league. Last year, a record of more than 1,000 players participated, drawing the attention to this year as players plan to raise awareness for causes close to their hearts in Weeks 13-14. Select player cleats will be available to fans through NFL Auction with proceeds flowing directly to each player’s identified charity.
This year, participants will be supporting education, social justice, healthcare accessibility, youth empowerment, military appreciation and more. In addition, Managing and Principal Partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam will contribute a generous $5,000 donation to each organization represented by Browns players.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (Boys Hope Girls Hope of Northeastern Ohio) and Browns alumnus Joe Thomas (Cleveland Browns Foundation’s Stay in the Game, Keep Learning, Every Day! Network) will join Browns players supporting local organizations in Week 14.
Browns players participating in My Cause My Cleats:
| Player | Cause/Charity | Notes |
| G Joel Bitonio | Disease Awareness/Prevention; American Heart Association | Partnering with the American Heart Association for My Cause My Cleats is a special way for Bitonio to honor his dad, Mike, who passed away after sustaining a heart attack while Bitonio was in college at Nevada. AHA is a Cleveland Browns First and Ten community partner. Through collaboration with numerous organizations and powered by millions of volunteers, AHA funds innovative research, advocates for the public’s health and shares lifesaving resources to save people from heart disease and stroke, two of the leading causes of death in the world. |
| WR Lawrence Cager | Youth Empowerment;
Level82 |
LEVEL82 was founded by two-time Super Bowl Champion Torrey Smith and his wife, Chanel. Engaging in Cager’s hometown, LEVEL82 seeks to leverage the power of community collaboration to enable all Baltimore families to reach their full potential. |
| G Michael Dunn | Cancer Awareness;
Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center-Breast Cancer Program |
As part of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, members of the multidisciplinary team including surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, advanced practice providers, nurses, and patient navigators, offer a full range of services to decrease the emotional and physical impact of a breast cancer diagnosis through innovative techniques such as tissue rearrangement to reduce cosmetic defects associated with breast surgery. Dunn will also be donating his cleats to Johns Hopkins Kimmel Breast Cancer Center. |
| RB Demetric Felton | Education;
Cleveland Browns Foundation’s Stay in the Game, Keep Learning, Every Day! Network |
The mission of the Stay in the Game! Keep Learning, Every Day! Network is to prioritize attendance by connecting its partners to resources aimed at tackling chronic absenteeism. The Cleveland Browns Foundation, Ohio Department of Education and Proving Ground are deeply committed to this mission. To learn more, visit SITGNetwork.org |
| LB Tony Fields II | Kidney Awareness | Field’s best friend’s sister, Jaila has one kidney. Field’s wants to help her and others impacted by drawing awareness for those fighting with one kidney. |
| DE Myles Garrett | Mission of Hope Haiti | Garrett has been an advocate for access to clean water across the world and spent time in Haiti during the summer of 2016 on a mission trip with Mission of Hope. This year, he will support Mission Hope of Haiti, an organization designed to help transform nations one life at a time by focusing on nutrition, education, medical care and church advancement. |
| P Jamie Gillan | Community Outreach; Hammer’s Helpers | Gillan created the Hammer’s Helpers in the 2021 offseason as a non-profit aimed at supporting youth in underserved areas of Cleveland. |
| CB A.J. Green | Community Outreach;
Kamp Khalil Legacy |
Green grew up Muslim and had trouble finding other Muslim friends or just getting people to understand Islam. The Kamp Khalil Legacy was established to provide holistic Islamic programming designed to empower youth with the knowledge and skills necessary to become global leaders impacting the social fabric by positively affecting change in the areas of business, education, politics and culture. |
| S Ronnie Harrison Jr. | Youth Education;
Big Brothers Big Sisters Cleveland |
The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters Cleveland is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. |
| WR Rashard Higgins | Down Syndrome;
Down Sydrome Association of Northeast Ohio (formerly the Upside of Downs) |
The Down Syndrome Association of Northeast Ohio (DSANEO) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide support, education and advocacy for individuals with Down syndrome, their families and communities. |
| CB Troy Hill | Youth;
Star Players Academy |
Star Players Academy provides Black, Brown, Indigenous and People of Color in low-income communities the opportunities, connections and resources they need to build fulfilling and successful futures. |
| TE Austin Hooper | Children in Foster Care; OhioGuidestone;
The Austin Hooper Foundation |
Hooper has been supporting OhioGuidestone the past two seasons through his “The Austin Hooper Foundation” to help support foster care families during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing children with an opportunity to find their mission and a career to be productive members of society. |
| RB Kareem Hunt | Social Justice;
Build the Bridge |
The Cleveland Browns partnered with the African-American Football Coaches Association to support “Build the Bridge,” designed to empower, develop and unify high school football teams through meaningful interactions between programs of different racial and/or socio-economic demographics in Northeast Ohio. |
| FB Andy Janovich | Military Appreciation;
Hunting with Soldiers |
Throughout Janovich’s entire NFL career, he has proactively shown appreciation by honoring members of the armed forces. Hunting with Soldiers was created in 2007 with the mission of getting Combat Veterans into the outdoors to give them the healing from PTSD that nature can help provide by offering them the opportunity to go hunting and fishing at no cost to them. Additionally, Janovich was named the Browns Salute to Service honoree in 2020 for his efforts. https://www.huntingwithsoldiers.org/ |
| QB Case Keenum | Esophageal Cancer &
Early Detection; MD Anderson Hospital |
Keenum is honoring his late father-in-law who passed just this year to esophageal cancer. MD Anderson offers many innovative treatments for esophageal cancer, including minimally invasive surgeries and targeted therapies.
https://www.mdanderson.org/cancer-types/esophageal-cancer/esophageal-cancer-treatment.html |
| WR Jarvis Landry | Cystic Fibrosis;
Jarvis Landry Building Winners Foundation |
One of Landry’s close high school friends had CF (NFL.com feature), resulting in Landry closely seeing and understanding the effects of the disease. The Jarvis Landry Building Winners Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to positively impacting the lives of children and families facing socioeconomic disparities and/or chronic health conditions, including CF. |
| LB Elijah Lee | Autism Awareness;
Autism Speaks |
Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. The organization does this through advocacy and support; increasing understanding and acceptance of people with autism; and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions. |
| QB Baker Mayfield | Boys and Girls Club of America; Folds of Honor | The Boys and Girls Club of America’s mission is to enable all young people, especially those most in need, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. Their vision provides a world-class experience that assures success is within reach of every young person who enters their doors, with all members on track to graduate from high school with a plan for the future; demonstrating good character and citizenship; and living a healthy lifestyle.
https://www.bgca.org/about-us/our-mission-story
Folds of Honor is a nonprofit organization that helps provide the families of fallen and disabled service members educational scholarships. |
| DE Takkarist McKinley | EcoVillage Farm Learning Center | EcoVillage Farm Learning Center, a project of Earth Island Institute, is a non-profit organization founded in 2002 by its current Executive Director, Shyaam M. Shabaka. Its mission is to is to create a healthy, sustainable environment and a socially/economically society for present and future generations. EcoVillage Farm Learning Center is a place where urban residents of all cultural backgrounds feel welcome and come to learn through (participatory) “mind/hands on” activities focused on how to restore and protect Mother Earth and her people. |
| CB Herb Miller | Youth Education;
Urban Community Connections, Inc. |
Urban Community Connections, Inc. is a strong supporter and promotor of education in youth, especially those in underserved communities. The organization is committed to share with the community needed resources ranging from philanthropic funds, financial support to other local organizations, community engagement and volunteerism, food to fight hunger, educational programs and basic life training seminars. |
| S Jovante Moffatt | Youth Empowerment;
Moffsview Foundation |
The Moffsview Foundation, started in the 2021 offseason works to give back to youth by donating food, hygiene items, and books in light of academic enrichment to help underserved communities in his hometown, Union City, Tennessee. To learn more, visit https://www.facebook.com/Jovante-Moffatt-Foundation-100731092216498/about/ |
| QB Nick Mullens | Cancer Awareness;
St. Jude Children’s Research |
Austin DeMello, a pediatric cancer patient, came to visit Mullens during his time with the San Francisco 49ers. DeMello passed away a few weeks later and since Mullens now has children of his own, he can-not imagine the pain they would have if he and his wife lost a child to cancer. The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cure and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.
https://www.stjude.org/about-st-jude.html?sc_icid=us-mm-missionstatement#mission |
| CB Greg Newsome | Social Justice;
Build the Bridge |
The Cleveland Browns partnered with the African-American Football Coaches Association to support “Build the Bridge,” designed to empower, develop and unify high school football teams through meaningful interactions between programs of different racial and/or socio-economic demographics in Northeast Ohio. |
| TE David Njoku | Food Relief;
Greater Cleveland Food Bank |
The Greater Cleveland Food Bank, a Browns Give Back First and Ten community partner leads hunger relief efforts in Northeast Ohio, leveraging donations of food, funds and volunteer activity to make possible more than 47 million meals each year for hungry people in its six-county service territory. |
| WR Donovan Peoples-Jones | Sickle Cell 101;
American Red Cross |
The American Red Cross supports one of the most critical sickle cell treatments, which is blood transfusions. Sickle cell causes serious complications that includes severe pain, respiratory conditions, organ failure and even stroke. American Red Cross is a Cleveland Browns First and Ten community partner and over the past 10 years, the Browns have hosted a blood drive during Training Camp, that has been vital in supporting over 23,000 local patients during the difficult summer months. |
| WR Anthony Schwartz | Social Justice; Empowering Youth and Exploring Justice (EYEJ) | EYEJ strives to be a connector between community and children, to provide life skills and personal development tools to students in grade six through age 25. With a focus on the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, they also work with young people across the United States. |
| LB Malcolm Smith | Systematic Racism;
Color of Change Foundation |
The Color of Change Foundation was brought to Smith’s attention through a high school friend who works within the organization. He wants to raise awareness for the organization and its great service as a safe zone and voice for Black people who might feel unprotected in America. |
| FB Johnny Stanton | LGBTQI+ Equality in Sports;
Athlete Ally |
Athlete Ally believes that everyone should have equal access, opportunity, and experience in sports, regardless of a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Athlete Ally’s mission is to end the rampant homophobia and transphobia in sport and to activate the athletic community to exercise their leadership to champion LGBTQI+ equality. |
| LB Sione Takitaki | Cancer Awareness;
ACS Ohio |
Takitaki’s father, Vaimaua, passed away from adeno carcinoma and metastasis forms of cancer. The American Cancer Society, a Browns Give Back First and Ten community partner, is dedicated helping those who face cancer with treatment and education. |
| G Wyatt Teller | The Lindy Infante Foundation | The Lindy Infante Foundation provides access to sports for children in need. The mission of the foundation is to unlock potential through increased access to youth sports participation. |
| LB Anthony Walker | Lupus Foundation of America | Walker’s close friend, Hope, passed away from lupus on May 8, 2020, just a few years after being diagnosed with lupus and just a few months before her 25th birthday. The Lupus Foundation of America works to improve the quality of life for all people affected by lupus through programs of research, education, support and advocacy. |
| CB Denzel Ward | Heart Health;
Make Them Know Your Name Foundation |
A consummate leader on the field and in the Northeast Ohio community, one of Ward’s strongest passions resulted in his family establishing the “Make Them Know Your Name Foundation.” Ward’s father, Paul G. Ward Jr., unexpectedly passed away due to cardiac arrest in 2016, and the family turned that tragedy into the inspiration behind the foundation’s mission of preventing heart-related fatalities with early detection and life-saving intervention “Make Them Know Your Name” is an on-field and off-field mantra for Ward, inspired by the message his dad would often share with him prior to playing in a sporting event, attending school or engaging in any other opportunity he had to excel and set a good example for his peers and the larger community. Each year, Ward has showcased MTKYN during the NFL’s My Cause, My Cleats campaign and will do so once again in 2021. |
| LB Mack Wilson | Autism Awareness;
Kulture City
|
Wilson is close friends with Caleb Collins, who is impacted by autism. Caleb, for whom Wilson also serves as a godfather, is the little brother of one of his best friend’s. |
For more information on the My Cause My Cleats campaign, visit www.nfl.com/mycausemycleats.
Media resources:
Photos of select Browns players’ cleats will be available upon request through Dominique Page (Dpage@ClevelandBrowns.com, 440-891-5025).
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