FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2017
NFL NAMES DR. ALLEN SILLS CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
Commissioner Goodell Appoints Esteemed Neurosurgeon
to Advance NFL’s Health and Safety Efforts
NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL today named DR. ALLEN SILLS as the NFL’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO), a new full-time position based in New York.
Dr. Sills joins the NFL from Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he serves as Professor of Neurological Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, and Founder and Co-Director of the Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center.
Dr. Sills, a neurosurgeon who has specialized in the treatment of athletes, will strengthen the NFL’s ongoing efforts to advance the health and safety of the sport. He will work closely with team medical staffs across the league, the NFL Players Association and its advisors and the many medical and scientific experts who comprise the NFL’s medical committees and guide the NFL’s health and research efforts.
“There is no higher priority for the NFL than player health and safety and we continually seek to raise our standards and then surpass them,” said Commissioner Goodell. “We sought a highly-credentialed physician and leader with experience as a clinician and researcher, and Dr. Sills’ extensive experience caring for athletes makes him the right choice for this important position.”
“We conducted an intensive international search which included many leading experts in sports medicine,” said Dr. John York, Co-chairman, San Francisco 49ers and Chairman of the NFL Owners’ Health and Safety Advisory Committee. “Dr. Sills stood out among the highly credentialed and qualified applicants.”
The appointment follows a rigorous search conducted by a premier panel of health and medical experts led by DR. BETSY NABEL, Chief Health and Medical Advisor to the NFL and President of Brigham Health, and including DR. ROB HEYER, President of the NFL Physicians Society and Team Internist for the Carolina Panthers, RONNIE BARNES, Senior Vice President, Medical Services and Head Athletic Trainer for the New York Giants, DR. ROBERT CANTU, Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery and Co-Director, Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, Boston University School of Medicine, and PETER FOSS, GE Healthcare.
The panel worked closely with DR. JOHN YORK, and JEFF MILLER, NFL Executive Vice President of Health and Safety Initiatives. The NFL consulted with the NFL Players Association, including interviewing the final candidates. Dr. Sills will be reporting to Miller.
“I have been impressed by the talent and experience of the candidates I have met during this process,” said Dr. Betsy Nabel. “Dr. Sills has years of experience on the frontlines of both research and patient care, and I am confident that Dr. Sills will use this platform to continue his work to improve sports health and safety in the NFL and for all athletes.”
"Hiring Dr. Sills is a touchdown for the NFL,” said Dr. Robert Cantu. “He is an international leader for his work on concussions in sports. I look forward to working with him to further advance the NFL's ongoing commitment to the health and safety of sports."
Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Sills has worked with numerous professional and collegiate sports programs. In addition to providing care for players on NFL sidelines as an Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant, he has served as a neurological consultant to the NCAA and the International Equestrian Foundation (FEI). He has also worked as consulting neurosurgeon for the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, the NHL’s Nashville Predators, the US Equestrian Foundation and all Vanderbilt University, Belmont University and Mississippi State University athletic teams.
“Allen Sills is an exceptional leader who will bring the perspective of a practicing neurosurgeon to this important position,” said Dr. Reid Thompson, Chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “He is an avid athlete and gifted surgeon with a passion for the care of elite athletes. With a combination of energy, vision and absolute integrity he is an inspired choice to become the first Chief Medical Officer of the NFL.”
Dr. Sills is an active researcher who has published more than 150 scientific articles and presentations including more than 40 in the last five years on the topic of sports concussion. He is a member of the Concussion in Sport Group, which publishes international standards regarding concussion in sport. Dr. Sills is also a fellow of the American Board of Neurological Surgery and the American College of Surgeons and currently serves as Section Editor for Sports and Rehabilitation for the journal Neurosurgery.
Previously, Dr. Sills has served as Founder and Executive Director, Memphis Regional Brain Tumor Center; Director of the Neuroscience Institute at Methodist University Hospital, Memphis; Associate Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine at the University of Tennessee, Memphis and the Semmes-Murphey Clinic; and Chief, Division of Neurosurgery at the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Dr. Sills graduated summa cum laude from Mississippi State University with a degree in engineering and received his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, where he also completed his internship in General Surgery, his residency training in Neurological Surgery and an NIH-funded Neuro-Oncology Fellowship.
Dr. Sills and his wife Shawne live in Tennessee and have four children. He serves on the Board of Directors for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Middle Tennessee, the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County Tennessee and has served as a youth baseball coach for more than 20 years.
| NFL To Host Second-Annual Women's Career Development Symposium March 24-25 in Arizona |
As part of its ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion, the National Football League will host the second-annual WOMEN'S CAREER DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM March 24-25 in Phoenix.
Bringing together more than 40 female executives from across the 32 NFL teams and league office, the symposium will educate, develop and train participants on specific career paths in Football Operations, including football administration, operations, coaching and scouting. The two-day event will include presentations, panel discussions, breakout sessions and networking opportunities with club and league executives and industry experts.
Among the speakers and presenters are RSE Strategy and Business Development Executive DAWN APONTE; Cardinals Owner MICHAEL BIDWILL; Bengals Executive Vice President KATIE BLACKBURN; Falcons Assistant General Manager SCOTT PIOLI; and Chargers President of Football Operations JOHN SPANOS.
In addition, NFL Senior Vice Presidents of Football Operations DEAN BLANDINO, KIM FIELDS, DAVE GARDI, ROD GRAVES and ARTHUR McAFEE, alongside other League office executives, will participate in roundtable discussions and a networking session with the aspiring Football Operations professionals.
Symposium sessions include: "Football Operations: Culture and Expectations," "NFL Salary Cap and Roster Management" and "Introduction to Player Evaluation." Following the presentations on March 25, participants will attend the inaugural NFL Pro Player Combine, where they will observe and take part in the player evaluation process alongside experienced NFL scouting personnel.
The Steering Committee for this year's Symposium includes Aponte and Graves, along with NFL Director of Football Development SAMANTHA RAPOPORT, NFL Director of Human Resources SARA SCHULTZ and NFL Senior Vice President of Talent Management MIKE SMITH. The initiative is directed by NFL Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer ROBERT GULLIVER and NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations TROY VINCENT.
Career Development Symposium participants are nominated by NFL clubs and league office staff and include one representative from each club and other participants from the league office who currently hold or are interested in positions in Football Operations. The NFL partnered with the "Women Leaders in College Sports," formerly the NACWAA, and the Fritz Pollard Alliance to identify and select eight qualified women across other levels of the sport to participate.
This effort is the latest iteration of the annual Career Development Symposium, which previously ran from 1998-2008 and returned in 2013. Last year's event focused on engaging aspiring female executives. Earlier this year, the NFL hosted the inaugural Women's Careers in Football Forum at the Pro Bowl in Orlando, where more than 220 women were introduced to career paths in Football Operations. All participants were entered into the NFL's Diverse Talent Community – a recruitment platform that encourages quality, dynamic candidates with diverse backgrounds to join its ranks through a shared talent acquisition database for Human Resources across the NFL and its 32 clubs.
|
| 2016 Performance-Based Pay Distributions Announced |
2016 PERFORMANCE-BASED PAY DISTRIBUTIONS ANNOUNCED
NFL Players will receive $127.84 million in "Performance-Based Pay" for their performance during the 2016 season, the NFL announced today. The Performance-Based Pay program is a collectively-bargained benefit that compensates players based upon their playing time and salary levels.
In addition to the Performance-Based Pay pool, the NFL Players Association has elected to dedicate $32 million in benefits (i.e., $1 million per club) to fund a Veteran Performance-Based Compensation Pool (the "Veteran Pool") for players with more than one Accrued Season. In total, $159.84 million will be disbursed to players under the combined pools.
Atlanta Falcons cornerback BRIAN POOLE earned the highest amount in the Performance-Based Pay program. Oakland Raiders guard GABE JACKSON earned the most in the Veteran Pool. Under the combined pools, Atlanta safety RICARDO ALLEN earned the highest amount of all NFL players. See the tables below for the top 25 bonuses in each category.
Players have been paid over $1.2 billion cumulatively since the inception of the Performance-Based Pay program, which was implemented as part of the NFL's 2002 Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL Players Association, and continues as part of the parties' current agreement.
The Veteran Pool is a component of the Rookie Redistribution Fund, which is a player benefit that was created under the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement. The NFL Players Association elected to fund the Veteran Pool for the first time this past year.
HOW PERFORMANCE-BASED PAY WORKS:
Under the Performance-Based Pay program, a fund is created and used as a supplemental form of player compensation based on a comparison of playing time to salary. Players become eligible to receive a bonus distribution in any regular season in which they play at least one official down.
Performance-Based Pay is computed by using a player index ("Index"). To produce the Index, a player's regular-season playtime (total plays on offense, defense and special teams) is divided by his adjusted regular-season compensation (full season salary, prorated portion of signing bonus, earned incentives). Each player's Index is then compared to those of the other players on his team to determine the amount of his Performance-Based Pay.
The Veteran Pool is computed in a similar manner, with two significant modifications: 1) Players with zero Accrued Seasons are not eligible to receive distributions, however, such players remain eligible to receive distributions under the Performance-Based Pay program; and 2) to calculate the eligible player's Index, if the player's full season base salary is less than $1 million, an additional amount will be imputed so that the player's base salary equals $1 million. This imputation of salary is solely for the purpose of calculating distributions from the pool, and does not affect the actual salary paid to the player.
ILLUSTRATION OF PERFORMANCE-BASED PAY SYSTEM
Each player on the same team competes for his own share of his club's Performance-Based Pay pool. The hypothetical example in the table below illustrates how the Player Index works, using a simplified four-player team and a club bonus pool of $1,000,000. Each player receives his share of the pool depending on how his index compares to those of his teammates
|
A
Playtime
|
B
Compensation
|
C
Index
(A/B)
|
D
% of Club Bonus Pool
(C/Team Total C)
|
E
Hypothetical Bonus
(D * $1,000,000)
|
Player A
|
50%
|
$ 500,000
|
10.0
|
50% of the Club’s pool (10 out of 20)
|
50% * $1,000,000 = $500,000
|
Player B
|
50%
|
$ 1,000,000
|
5.0
|
25% of the Club’s pool (5 out of 20)
|
25% * $1,000,000 = $250,000
|
Player C
|
20%
|
$ 500,000
|
4.0
|
20% of the Club’s pool (4 out of 20)
|
20% * $1,000,000 = $200,000
|
Player D
|
10%
|
$ 1,000,000
|
1.0
|
5% of the Club’s pool (1 out of 20)
|
5% * $1,000,000 = $50,000
|
Team Total:
|
20.0 Points
|
|
TOP 25 PERFORMANCE-BASED PAY DISTRIBUTIONS FOR 2016
|
PLAYER
|
CLUB
|
POSITION
|
COLLEGE
|
ENTRY
YEAR
|
DRAFT
ROUND
|
DISTRIBUTION
|
1
|
Brian Poole
|
Atlanta
|
CB
|
Florida
|
2016
|
UDFA
|
$ 371,783.11
|
2
|
Dak Prescott
|
Dallas
|
QB
|
Mississippi State
|
2016
|
4
|
$ 353,544.57
|
3
|
Anthony Brown
|
Dallas
|
CB
|
Purdue
|
2016
|
6
|
$ 346,198.12
|
4
|
Ricardo Allen
|
Atlanta
|
SS
|
Purdue
|
2014
|
5
|
$ 342,712.65
|
5
|
David Andrews
|
New England
|
C
|
Georgia
|
2015
|
UDFA
|
$ 341,353.27
|
6
|
Jalen Mills
|
Philadelphia
|
CB
|
Louisiana State
|
2016
|
7
|
$ 324,112.11
|
7
|
Trenton Brown
|
San Francisco
|
T
|
Florida
|
2015
|
7
|
$ 323,714.54
|
8
|
Zach Orr
|
Baltimore
|
LB
|
North Texas
|
2014
|
UDFA
|
$ 317,986.94
|
9
|
Alejandro Villanueva
|
Pittsburgh
|
T
|
Army
|
2014
|
UDFA
|
$ 317,676.41
|
10
|
Andrew Adams
|
New York Giants
|
S
|
Connecticut
|
2016
|
UDFA
|
$ 316,310.42
|
11
|
Greg Mancz
|
Houston
|
C
|
Toledo
|
2015
|
UDFA
|
$ 314,808.54
|
12
|
Russell Bodine
|
Cincinnati
|
C
|
North Carolina
|
2014
|
4
|
$ 314,040.72
|
13
|
Quinton Spain
|
Tennessee
|
G
|
West Virginia
|
2015
|
UDFA
|
$ 307,518.91
|
14
|
LaDarius Gunter
|
Green Bay
|
CB
|
Miami
|
2015
|
UDFA
|
$ 306,388.79
|
15
|
Matt Paradis
|
Denver
|
C
|
Boise State
|
2014
|
6
|
$ 306,002.71
|
16
|
Joe Thuney
|
New England
|
G
|
North Carolina State
|
2016
|
3
|
$ 305,206.63
|
17
|
Mark Glowinski
|
Seattle
|
G
|
West Virginia
|
2015
|
4
|
$ 303,282.60
|
18
|
Jordan Hicks
|
Philadelphia
|
LB
|
Texas
|
2015
|
3
|
$ 300,142.56
|
19
|
Telvin Smith
|
Jacksonville
|
LB
|
Florida State
|
2014
|
5
|
$ 293,471.03
|
20
|
Andrew Norwell
|
Carolina
|
G
|
Ohio State
|
2014
|
UDFA
|
$ 291,975.48
|
21
|
Kwon Alexander
|
Tampa Bay
|
LB
|
Louisiana State
|
2015
|
4
|
$ 291,500.78
|
22
|
Tajae Sharpe
|
Tennessee
|
WR
|
Massachusetts
|
2016
|
5
|
$ 289,676.53
|
23
|
Malcolm Butler
|
New England
|
CB
|
West Alabama
|
2014
|
UDFA
|
$ 287,598.82
|
24
|
Bobby Hart
|
New York Giants
|
G
|
Florida State
|
2015
|
7
|
$ 285,288.92
|
25
|
Kevin Byard
|
Tennessee
|
S
|
Middle Tennessee
|
2016
|
3
|
$ 284,778.17
|
UDFA – Undrafted free agent
TOP 25 BONUSES IN VETERAN PERFORMANCE-BASED COMPENSATION
|
PLAYER
|
CLUB
|
POSITION
|
COLLEGE
|
ENTRY
YEAR
|
DRAFT
ROUND
|
DISTRIBUTION
|
1
|
Gabe Jackson
|
Oakland
|
G
|
Mississippi State
|
2014
|
3
|
$ 91,475.02
|
2
|
Zach Orr
|
Baltimore
|
LB
|
North Texas
|
2014
|
UDFA
|
$ 88,953.05
|
3
|
Ricardo Allen
|
Atlanta
|
S
|
Purdue
|
2014
|
5
|
$ 87,007.27
|
4
|
Telvin Smith
|
Jacksonville
|
LB
|
Florida State
|
2014
|
5
|
$ 85,686.64
|
5
|
Russell Bodine
|
Cincinnati
|
C
|
North Carolina
|
2014
|
4
|
$ 85,122.27
|
6
|
David Andrews
|
New England
|
C
|
Georgia
|
2015
|
UDFA
|
$ 84,990.99
|
7
|
Christian Kirksey
|
Cleveland
|
LB
|
Iowa
|
2014
|
3
|
$ 84,154.17
|
8
|
Alejandro Villanueva
|
Pittsburgh
|
T
|
Army
|
2014
|
UDFA
|
$ 83,976.05
|
9
|
Matt Paradis
|
Denver
|
C
|
Boise State
|
2014
|
6
|
$ 83,805.46
|
10
|
Nevin Lawson
|
Detroit
|
CB
|
Utah State
|
2014
|
4
|
$ 82,733.59
|
11
|
Jordan Hicks
|
Philadelphia
|
LB
|
Texas
|
2015
|
3
|
$ 81,813.54
|
12
|
Ross Cockrell
|
Pittsburgh
|
CB
|
Duke
|
2014
|
4
|
$ 81,720.88
|
13
|
Malcolm Butler
|
New England
|
CB
|
West Alabama
|
2014
|
UDFA
|
$ 81,283.90
|
14
|
Mark Glowinski
|
Seattle
|
G
|
West Virginia
|
2015
|
4
|
$ 80,458.15
|
15
|
Avery Williamson
|
Tennessee
|
LB
|
Kentucky
|
2014
|
5
|
$ 79,530.11
|
16
|
Greg Mancz
|
Houston
|
C
|
Toledo
|
2015
|
UDFA
|
$ 78,126.46
|
17
|
Max Garcia
|
Denver
|
G
|
Florida
|
2015
|
4
|
$ 77,242.30
|
18
|
LaDarius Gunter
|
Green Bay
|
CB
|
Miami
|
2015
|
UDFA
|
$ 77,072.97
|
19
|
A.J. Cann
|
Jacksonville
|
G
|
South Carolina
|
2015
|
3
|
$ 76,986.67
|
20
|
Kwon Alexander
|
Tampa Bay
|
LB
|
Louisiana State
|
2015
|
4
|
$ 76,811.45
|
21
|
Andrew Norwell
|
Carolina
|
G
|
Ohio State
|
2014
|
UDFA
|
$ 76,325.88
|
22
|
Bobby Hart
|
New York Giants
|
G
|
Florida State
|
2015
|
7
|
$ 75,784.04
|
23
|
Charles Leno
|
Chicago
|
T
|
Boise State
|
2014
|
7
|
$ 75,571.75
|
24
|
Shaquille Mason
|
New England
|
G
|
Georgia Tech
|
2015
|
4
|
$ 74,876.72
|
25
|
Quinton Spain
|
Tennessee
|
G
|
West Virginia
|
2015
|
UDFA
|
$ 74,429.55
|
UDFA – Undrafted free agent
TOP 25 COMBINED TOTAL (PERFORMANCE-BASED PAY AND VETERAN PERFORMANCE-BASED COMPENSATION)
|
PLAYER
|
CLUB
|
POS
|
COLLEGE
|
ENTRY
YEAR
|
DRAFT
ROUND
|
REGULAR PBP
|
VETERAN PBP
|
COMBINED DISTRIBUTION
|
1
|
Ricardo Allen
|
Atlanta
|
S
|
Purdue
|
2014
|
5
|
$ 342,712.65
|
$ 87,007.27
|
$ 429,719.92
|
2
|
David Andrews
|
New England
|
C
|
Georgia
|
2015
|
UDFA
|
$ 341,353.27
|
$ 84,990.99
|
$ 426,344.26
|
3
|
Zach Orr
|
Baltimore
|
LB
|
North Texas
|
2014
|
UDFA
|
$ 317,986.94
|
$ 88,953.05
|
$ 406,939.99
|
4
|
Alejandro Villanueva
|
Pittsburgh
|
T
|
Army
|
2014
|
UDFA
|
$ 317,676.41
|
$ 83,976.05
|
$ 401,652.46
|
5
|
Russell Bodine
|
Cincinnati
|
C
|
North Carolina
|
2014
|
4
|
$ 314,040.72
|
$ 85,122.27
|
$ 399,162.99
|
6
|
Trenton Brown
|
San Francisco
|
T
|
Florida
|
2015
|
7
|
$ 323,714.54
|
$ 73,123.24
|
$ 396,837.78
|
7
|
Greg Mancz
|
Houston
|
C
|
Toledo
|
2015
|
UDFA
|
$ 314,808.54
|
$ 78,126.46
|
$ 392,935.00
|
8
|
Matt Paradis
|
Denver
|
C
|
Boise State
|
2014
|
6
|
$ 306,002.71
|
$ 83,805.46
|
$ 389,808.17
|
9
|
Mark Glowinski
|
Seattle
|
G
|
West Virginia
|
2015
|
4
|
$ 303,282.60
|
$ 80,458.15
|
$ 383,740.75
|
10
|
LaDarius Gunter
|
Green Bay
|
CB
|
Miami
|
2015
|
UDFA
|
$ 306,388.79
|
$ 77,072.97
|
$ 383,461.76
|
11
|
Quinton Spain
|
Tennessee
|
G
|
West Virginia
|
2015
|
UDFA
|
$ 300,142.56
|
$ 81,813.54
|
$ 381,956.10
|
12
|
Jordan Hicks
|
Philadelphia
|
LB
|
Texas
|
2015
|
3
|
$ 307,518.91
|
$ 74,429.55
|
$ 381,948.46
|
13
|
Telvin Smith
|
Jacksonville
|
LB
|
Florida State
|
2014
|
5
|
$ 293,471.03
|
$ 85,686.64
|
$ 379,157.67
|
14
|
Brian Poole
|
Atlanta
|
CB
|
Florida
|
2016
|
UDFA
|
$ 371,783.11
|
$ -
|
$ 371,783.11
|
15
|
Malcolm Butler
|
New England
|
CB
|
West Alabama
|
2014
|
UDFA
|
$ 287,598.82
|
$ 81,283.90
|
$ 368,882.72
|
16
|
Kwon Alexander
|
Tampa Bay
|
LB
|
Louisiana State
|
2015
|
4
|
$ 291,500.78
|
$ 76,811.45
|
$ 368,312.23
|
17
|
Andrew Norwell
|
Carolina
|
G
|
Ohio State
|
2014
|
UDFA
|
$ 291,975.48
|
$ 76,325.88
|
$ 368,301.36
|
18
|
Gabe Jackson
|
Oakland
|
G
|
Mississippi State
|
2014
|
3
|
$ 273,174.55
|
$ 91,475.02
|
$ 364,649.57
|
19
|
Bobby Hart
|
NY Giants
|
G
|
Florida State
|
2015
|
7
|
$ 285,288.92
|
$ 75,784.04
|
$ 361,072.96
|
20
|
Avery Williamson
|
Tennessee
|
LB
|
Kentucky
|
2014
|
5
|
$ 279,923.35
|
$ 79,530.11
|
$ 359,453.46
|
21
|
Dak Prescott
|
Dallas
|
QB
|
Mississippi State
|
2016
|
4
|
$ 353,544.57
|
$ -
|
$ 353,544.57
|
22
|
Ross Cockrell
|
Pittsburgh
|
CB
|
Duke
|
2014
|
4
|
$ 270,899.82
|
$ 81,720.88
|
$ 352,620.70
|
23
|
Shaquille Mason
|
New England
|
G
|
Georgia Tech
|
2015
|
4
|
$ 277,474.07
|
$ 74,876.72
|
$ 352,350.79
|
24
|
Anthony Brown
|
Dallas
|
CB
|
Purdue
|
2016
|
6
|
$ 346,198.12
|
$ -
|
$ 346,198.12
|
25
|
Nevin Lawson
|
Detroit
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CB
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Utah State
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2014
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4
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$ 261,672.97
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$ 82,733.59
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$ 344,406.56
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| Cameron Jordan, Byron Maxwell and Delanie Walker to Participate in NFL-USO Tour to Southwest Asia |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3/30/17
CAMERON JORDAN, BYRON MAXWELL AND DELANIE WALKER
TO PARTICIPATE IN NFL-USO TOUR TO SOUTHWEST ASIA
New Orleans Saints defensive end CAMERON JORDAN, Miami Dolphins cornerback BYRON MAXWELL and Tennessee Titans tight end DELANIE WALKER will embark on a week-long NFL-USO tour to Southwest Asia to visit U.S. troops and their families at military bases, the NFL announced today. These NFL ambassadors were selected to participate in the tour for their excellence on and off the field and charitable endeavors.
An extension of Salute to Service, the League's year-long military appreciation campaign, this year's NFL-USO tour will feature an array of base activities from military-themed athletic competitions and unit visits to one-on-one meetings with base leadership at four locations in three countries. The players will also spend quality time with service members and their families, as well as pass out two sports-themed USO2GO kits designed to help service members in remote locations relax and recharge.
"The NFL is pleased to work with the USO on another goodwill tour and provide players with the chance to engage with service men and women. These brave individuals in uniform, who fight for our safety every day, are true heroes and represent the spirit for which our country stands," said NFL Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility ANNA ISAACSON. "The players participating in this tour are profoundly appreciative of military members and now have the chance to say 'thank you' in person."
For over 50 years, the NFL and USO have worked together to support the military and connect service members to family, home and country. In 1966, the NFL teamed with the USO and became the first sports organization to send players on a tour to Vietnam and other parts of the Far East. Since then, more than 250 NFL players, coaches and executives, including TERRY BRADSHAW, BILL COWHER, FRANCO HARRIS, LARRY FITZGERALD, LYNN SWANN and J.J. WATT, have visited troops on NFL-USO tours in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, Japan, Korea, Kuwait and Somalia. In 2008 Commissioner ROGER GOODELL became the first sports commissioner to visit the troops overseas as part of a USO tour when he visited Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The USO cannot say enough about the incredible support and generosity of the NFL over the last 51 years," said USO CEO and President J.D. CROUCH. "Their ongoing commitment as a Force Behind the Forces plays a major role in helping the USO fulfill its mission of strengthening our service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country. We are proud to work with the NFL on yet another entertainment tour, and look forward to bringing smiles and a piece of home to the many service members stationed in Southwest Asia."
In addition to overseas morale-building visits, the NFL has supported several different USO projects through Salute to Service, and earlier this year, announced a $5M commitment to the USO over the next three years to support the expansion and refurbishment of USO centers and programming.
Below is information on players participating in this year's NFL-USO tour. For more information on the USO please visit uso.org.
CAMERON JORDAN (New Orleans Saints)
Cameron Jordan anchored the defensive line in his fifth NFL season, recording 61 tackles (40 solo), 10 sacks for a total loss of 67 yards, seven passes defensed, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries and was selected to his second career Pro Bowl. His 10 sacks tied for 15th in the NFL. It marked the second time in his career that he's posted at least 10 takedowns, making him just the ninth Saint with multiple double-digit sack seasons. Jordan also tied for ninth in the league in defensive fumble recoveries. An explosive and physical defensive end, the former University of California standout possesses the combination of size, speed and strength to play defensive end in either a 3-4 or 4-3 alignment. Jordan has appeared in 80 games with 79 starts, posting career totals of 327 stops (188 solo), 39 quarterback takedowns, 25 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries.
The son of a long-time NFL veteran, Jordan learned very early the importance of giving back. Jordan frequently spreads positive messages about the importance of literacy and character development to students in both elementary and high school throughout the school year, as well as during the Saints/United Way Annual Community Patrol Summer Camps. He is the designated LIVE UNITED player representing the Saints and the United Way of Southeast Louisiana. As the key spokesman of the Saints/Copeland's Kids Club, he hosts a football skills camp every year for all members and helps to promote the NFL's PLAY 60 message through various initiatives, but most often, via team-sponsored Junior Training Camps and Playworks Louisiana visits.
Jordan also has a special place in his heart for all events related to uplifting the New Orleans community and practicing goodwill during the holiday season by participating in team turkey giveaways and Christmas gift giveaways. Year-round, he never hesitates to volunteer for any hospital visit, military initiative, or health-related initiatives such as Breast Cancer awareness visits.
BYRON MAXWELL (Miami Dolphins)
Byron Maxwell was acquired by the Dolphins in a trade from Philadelphia in March 2016 and was originally drafted by the Seahawks in 2011. In 2016 he started 13 games and recorded 53 tackles (43 solo), two interceptions, 15 passes defensed and four forced fumbles. He was second in the NFL among defensive backs with four forced fumbles and tied for 13th in the league with 15 passes defensed. His 15 passes defensed this season are the most by a Dolphins player since 2008 (Andre Goodman).
A native of North Charleston, S.C., Maxwell dedicates a significant amount of time and resources to his community through Maxwell's Way, a foundation serving area residents. The foundation's mission is to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge and strengthen communities. Maxwell is committed to enhancing the lives of youth and providing them with chances at upward mobility by partnering with organizations and institutions of learning. In addition to actively serving his hometown, Maxwell is a pillar of the Miami community, regularly partaking in Dolphins community events. This past Thanksgiving, he and fellow teammates teamed with Publix to host students from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach countries to shop for Thanksgiving meals. Additionally, Maxwell joined teammates and Dolphins executives in the seventh edition of Dolphins Cancer Challenge, a fundraiser including 4,000 cancer fighters who joined together to tackle cancer. This year's event featured the largest turnout of participants in its history and raised funds for cancer research at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
DELANIE WALKER (Tennessee Titans)
The Titans targeted Delanie Walker early in the 2013 free agency period to bring physicality, versatility and leadership to the offense. He has delivered that and more, becoming one of the NFL's top play-making tight ends. The tight end brings a unique element to the offense and poses match-up problems for defenses with his ability to line up in the backfield, on the line, in the slot and as a wideout. The 6-foot-2-inch, 248-pounder spent the first seven years of his career with the San Francisco 49ers after being selected in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. His first three seasons in Tennessee arguably resulted in the best three-year stretch in franchise history by a player at his position. During that time, his 217 receptions and 2,549 receiving yards (to go with 16 touchdowns) set a franchise high for a tight end in any consecutive three-year period, and his reception and yardage totals ranked third and fourth, respectively, in the NFL in that timespan. In 2015, he set the single-season franchise records among tight ends with 94 receptions and 1,088 receiving yards, leading to his first career Pro Bowl invitation.
Walker was named the Tennessee Titans Community Man of the Year in 2013 and 2015, due in large part to his tireless work with Mothers Against Drunk Driving. He teamed with MADD to help raise awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving after losing his aunt and uncle in a horrific accident near New Orleans after Super Bowl XLVII. The morning after San Francisco's loss to Baltimore at the Superdome, an alleged drunk driver killed Alice and Bryan Young only hours after Walker hugged Alice and Bryan at the team's postgame party. In addition to his work with MADD, Walker is an ambassador with the Tennessee Governor's Highway Safety Office's "Booze It and Lose It" campaign. During the 2016 offseason, Walker spearheaded a benefit dinner and auction for his foundation called "Carving It Up with Delanie Walker." He also launched "Delanie Walker's Imagination Station" at Fall-Hamilton Elementary School in collaboration with Scholastic Book Fairs to provide a new fully-furnished reading room for students.
*For security purposes, the tour dates and country names cannot be released at this time.
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