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 Avid reader/commenter/colleague Jordi has a great post up today about Warrick Dunn and his latest charity endeavor/accomplishment:
On December 18, Osei Nyahuma of Tallahassee, FL, became the latest recipient of
a new home courtesy of former Seminole and current Atlanta Falcon Warrick Dunn.
I'm desperately trying not to copy/paste his entire post over here, so head over there and check it out. For those of you who didn't know, not only is Warrick Dunn one of the tiniest players in the NFL, but he very well may have the best heart in the NFL. I've always been a fan of Dunn, not for his playing ability, but because of his ability to overcome his personal obstacles and push ahead to help others who were in need.
On January 7, 1993,
Dunn's mother Betty Smothers, an off-duty police officer escorting a
businesswoman to a bank, was ambushed and killed by armed robbers.
Three men were sent to prison for the murder, and two remain on death row. Dunn, two days after his 18th birthday, became the head of his family and raised his siblings
Dunn established the Warrick Dunn Foundation and the Homes for the
Holidays program, which helps struggling single mothers purchase homes.
The program buys homes through a down payment provided by Dunn, who
also worked with area sponsors to furnish and outfit the homes. The
program, as of 2004, has assisted roughly 45 single mothers and 120
children in Atlanta, Baton Rouge, and Tampa,
Florida. Dunn's goal is help these mothers realize the dream that his
mother was not able to give to him and his siblings, to own their own
home. Dunn's achievements have been recognized over the years. He
received a Giant Steps Award in civic leadership from former President Bill Clinton for his program. In 2005, Dunn was presented with the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award; named after the Chicago Bears running back who died in 1999,
the award is the only NFL award that recognizes a player for his
community service as well as for his excellence on the field. In the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Dunn challenged all NFL players, except for those who play for the New Orleans Saints, to donate at least $5,000 to the effort. Since forming his foundation, Dunn has received over $5,000,000 in contributions.
Despite his tiny stature...Dunn is a man's man. It seems that with all the steroids/dog fighting/cheating scandals around sports today we don't get to hear too many good things. It's good to know that there are people out there like Dunn to help others.
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I heard the story on MNF that Dunn recently visited the prison and spent something like 1 1/2 hours sitting and talking to the guy that killed his mom. I can't imagine that I could do that.
I agree with you there. That would be extremely tough to do.