NFL Good Guys

By Paul Attner
The Sporting News


TONY BOSELLI, OT, Texans
Awards 20 full-tuition college scholarships from $400,000 raised by his golf tournament. Presents most valuable teacher awards and Shop with a Jock holiday sprees for 110 needy kids.


MARK BRUNELL, QB, Jaguars
His golf tournament has raised $550,000 for a local children's hospital, which in November opened the Brunell Family Children's Neurodiagnostic Center. Already had helped establish playroom at the hospital.


PHILLIP DANIELS, DE, Bears
Donated $50,000 to a high school to help build a fieldhouse. Bought jerseys for a school's basketball and football teams. Gave money to a Chicago youngster who was paralyzed in a football game. Organized a holiday toy drive.


EBENEZER EKUBAN, DE, Cowboys
A community service zealot who constantly volunteers for assignments. Played the grim reaper at an alcohol-abuse meeting to show kids the impact of driving drunk. Volunteers his time with kids of an interfaith housing program.


MARSHALL FAULK, RB, Rams
Has donated more than $190,000 to youth groups. Gave $10,000 to help fund a New Orleans rec center. Gave $10,000 to a weightlifting program for needy kids.

Doug Flutie - Good Guy


DOUG FLUTIE, QB, Chargers
Has worked diligently to raise $3 million for research into autism, which affects his son. Also has lobbied Congress for increased government spending on research and education about autism.


TARIK GLENN, OT, Colts
Provides a tutoring service for 100 Indianapolis-area needy students. Delivers care baskets to cancer patients. Works with his church to give speeches at schools and juvenile detention centers.


JOHN JACKSON, OT, Bengals
Arranged for a $25,000 donation to buy 15 computers for local Boys & Girls clubs. Bought food and gifts for residents of his old Cincinnati neighborhood. Donated 10 registration fees so kids could take SATs.


JOHN LYNCH, S, Buccaneers
Has given out more than $46,000 for scholarships that have aided 10 college-bound students. Teams with Tampa Sports Commission to recognize outstanding area athletes. His golf tournament has raised more than $750,000, helping to build a San Diego Boys & Girls Club facility.


PEYTON MANNING, QB, Colts
Sponsors PeyBack Classic football tournament for five inner-city schools at the RCA Dome. Hosted 225 needy kids for Christmas at a pizza place. Gave $25,000 to help restore a New Orleans YMCA.


MICHAEL McCRARY, DE, Ravens
Raised more than $70,000 last year for Special Olympics and Police Athletic League. Sponsors a program that tutors needy kids four days a week. Sent 27 of these kids to New York to see a play, a Knicks game and Ground Zero.


FRED MILLER, OT, Titans
Committed $800,000 to begin Nurses for Newborns in Nashville, Tenn. The organization provides safety for at-risk families and works to help prevent infant mortality, child abuse and neglect.


TONY RICHARDSON, FB, Chiefs
Has made more than 100 community appearances the past year. Co-sponsors a golf tournament that has raised $50,000 for Athletes In Action. Supports an incentive program at a local youth center.


TWAN RUSSELL, LB, Dolphins
Encourages literacy in Fort Lauderdale-area schools. Created an after-school program for kids needing help and spends most of his offseason working directly with students. Helps more than 650 kids through the program.


JUNIOR SEAU, LB, Chargers
Committed $430,000 in 2001 to needy kids. Has awarded scholarships to more than 200 college-bound students; 26 currently receive support.


JASON SEHORN, CB, Giants
Has helped five families buy homes by adding a $5,000 down payment to an escrow account, plus furnishing the home and buying food and toys. Has given $22,000 for scholarships to send kids to camp.


WILL SHIELDS, G, Chiefs
Supports or has developed two dozen programs in the Kansas City area, ranging from providing funding for school libraries to creating computer labs to donating vans to a homeless women's shelter. Funds 26 reading clinics.


JOHN TAIT, OT, Chiefs
His grant to Accessible Arts provided money to build a studio for expanded art classes for blind students. Gave $10,000 to a museum to help transport inner-city kids to classes and workshops. Sends 76 kids with cancer to summer camp.


TROY VINCENT, CB, Eagles
Involved with multiple programs that include sponsoring a girls' high school summer hoops league in Trenton, N.J., and developing ways to encourage athletes to mentor kids. Gives two $1,500 scholarships to high school graduates and numerous grants to needy groups.


DEWAYNE WASHINGTON, CB, Steelers
Awards 10 laptop computers to seniors who will attend North Carolina-supported colleges. Has developed a free SAT prep program that will be offered to Raleigh-Durham students.


MARCELLUS WILEY, DE, Chargers
Purchases school supplies, textbooks and game tickets for at-risk students from three San Diego high schools. Personally gave out 300 Thanksgiving dinners, played Santa and hosted a pizza party at one school.


JERRY WUNSCH, OT, Buccaneers, and GRANT WISTROM, DE, Rams
Team up to sponsor Circle of Friends-Winter Week, which takes 25-30 kids sick with cancer and sickle cell anemia on a five-day outdoor activities trip to Wisconsin, Wunsch's home state.


TSN'S GOOD GUY PICK: Derek Jeter

GOOD GUYS BY SPORT:
MLB: Carlos Delgado | All
NFL: Jerome Bettis | All
NHL: John LeClair | All
NBA: Alonzo Mourning | All
NASCAR: Good guys

WHERE ARE THEY NOW

NOMINEES

GOOD GUY CONTACTS

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TSN'S GOOD GUY PICK: Derek Jeter

GOOD GUYS BY SPORT:
MLB: Carlos Delgado | All
NFL: Jerome Bettis | All
NHL: John LeClair | All
NBA: Alonzo Mourning | All
NASCAR: Good guys

WHERE ARE THEY NOW

NOMINEES

GOOD GUY CONTACTS


WHO ARE THE GOOD GUYS?
This is the fourth year The Sporting News has selected the most impressive Good Guys in pro sports -- those athletes in the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL and NASCAR who have the biggest hears, who give back the most to the community, who are the most willing to serve the needy and unfortunate.

Candidates are nominated by their individual teams and leagues. Management and former players are not considered; TSN selects the winners.










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