Through charity work, Derrick Brown recognized in pregame appearance at Super Bowl
Derrick Brown is among the most popular players to play for Auburn in recent years. And now he’s making an impact on — and off — the field in the NFL.
If you watched the pre-game segment on Fox just before kickoff to the Super Bowl on Sunday, you may have spotted Brown on the field. He was there as a nominee for the 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, which was won by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
The award recognizes players who show not only excellence on the field, but also make a positive influence beyond the game and leave legacies in their respective communities.
Brown, a defensive lineman who plays for the Carolina Panthers, just completed his third — and best season as a pro. And, his “Derrick Brown Foundation” is making an impact, too. A big one.
Per WCNC in Charlotte, through his foundation, “Brown held a free youth football camp with 200 players in Gwinnett County, Georgia (in 2022). He also supported 15 at-risk kids with a shopping spree that included sneakers, school supplies and clothing. He also provided nine students at Lanier High School, his alma mater, with $40,000 in scholarships. … Brown’s charity work took off at the height of the pandemic when he put together care baskets for five families, including $1,000 for day-to-day needs. He also held a drive-thru Halloween event with over $50,000 in candy and costumes for children.”
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Brown has been extremely active in North Carolina and his home state of Georgia
That’s not all.
Per Panthers.com, “Brown has also partnered with state officials and companies to combat food insecurity. His foundation feeds 100 veterans battling food insecurity each Veterans Day, started a program to give a shopping spree to 25 families in need, and provided 3,000 families in Gwinnett County with turkeys, produce, and non-perishable food for Thanksgiving. For the past few summers, Brown has worked as a Nike community captain for his football camps in Sugar Hill, which include a donation of over $30,000 of in-kind support, gifts, food, and equipment.”
For Brown, giving back has been important. He told Panthers.com he was fortunate enough to have people help him when he was growing up.
“We didn’t have everything, so we had people that would help us,” Brown said. “I think about it all the time – those that helped me, helped my parents. It’s just one of those things in life where I’m just like, all the moments that I had growing up, there’s a kid out there just like me, growing up in that same situation I grew up in. I keep that mindset over and over and over again.”
All 32 nominees received up to a $40,000 donation in their name to their charity of choice.
