Each week of the NFL season, the NFL Players Association awards a Community MVP for someone who’s making a positive impact beyond football. This week, Pittsburgh Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith won the award “for distributing free backpacks, books, supplies, haircuts and nutritious snacks to 300+ kids at his third annual Back to School Bash in Pennsylvania,” per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The event was through Highsmith’s charity, the Alex Highsmith Family Foundation. It was held at the LaRosa Youth Club in McKeesport in August, according to Steelers.com.
Highsmith is one of many Steelers who are active in the community. DL Cameron Heyward won the Walter Payton Man of The Year award last year, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Highsmith started garnering some buzz for the charitable work that he does. Given that Heyward is ineligible for the award this season as he’s already won, Highsmith could be Pittsburgh’s nominee for the award this year.
This is the second straight year that a Steelers player has won an NFLPA Community MVP award, after Cameron Heyward won in Week 8 last year.
For winning the Community MVP award, the NFLPA will donate $10,000 to Highsmith’s foundation and he becomes eligible for the NFLPA Alan Page Community Award, which honors players who go above and beyond with their efforts in their community.
Highsmith said he wants to be remembered for his work off the field as well as on it.
“Through my foundation, the Alex Highsmith Family Foundation, we strive to positively impact the lives of the youth across multiple areas,” Highsmith said via the NFLPA website.. “I want to be remembered not just for what I do on the field, but for the lives I impacted off the field. That’s what it’s all about and that’s what is truly long-lasting.”
It’s awesome to see players get involved off the field and look for ways to impact the world and make it a better place. The Steelers have a number of current and former players who have done so and continue to do so, and Highsmith is another in a long line of players who have impacted their community.
It’s nice to see him honored for the work, and it’s good that Highsmith’s foundation gets something from it. That should lead to more opportunities down the line for Highsmith to positively impact the community even more.
