CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns' Myles Garrett always makes it a point to give back to the community and his recent efforts have garnered him an award from the NFLPA, the NFL's players' union.
On Friday, Garrett was announced as the Week 1 NFLPA Community MVP, honored with the award after he hosted a back-to-school event in August with the United Way in Cleveland, filling backpacks with supplies for local kids, sending them home with lunch bags and providing them with haircuts in order to help them get ready for the new school year.
#Browns Myles Garrett is spending the morning with the United Way, filling backpacks with supplies for local kids, sending them home with lunchbags and providing them with haircuts—helping them get ready for the new school year. pic.twitter.com/UwX7JX798F
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) August 8, 2022
The event, which ran two days, provided back-to-school resources to hundreds of students with the Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Ohio. It was something that Garrett said was truly important to him, knowing the importance of giving back.
“It is an honor to be named the NFLPA Community MVP,” Garrett said in a press release. “From a very young age, my family taught me that helping other people is not just the nice thing to do; it’s the right thing to do.”
During the event, Garrett shared with the children his biggest influence to his character—his grandmother.
"My grandmother was my biggest inspiration. My family called her Gran and she was probably the most empathetic and caring, loving person that I've ever known," Garrett said. "And she instilled that in my father and me and my siblings. And so being able to give back is directly related to her. She put this kind of spirit of giving in me and I hope to keep on being refreshed to refresh others so it's all thanks to her."
In honor of Garrett being named the Community MVP, the NFLPA will make a $10,000 contribution to his charity or foundation of choice. Along with the other 2022 Community MVPs that will be announced each week, Garrett will also be eligible for the 2022 Alan Page Community Award.
Garrett will also take part in a virtual or in-person visit to a local school or children’s hospital as part of winning the award, the NFLPA said.
The Browns defensive end was also recently named a team captain for the season, and while that honor means a lot to him, the NFLPA award really hits home.
“It probably means a little bit more than being named captain because that’s a community, that’s bigger than football and what I’m going to do on the field for me and the city of Cleveland, hopefully it will stand for however long my career lasts here, so I’m just looking forward to helping the youth grow and help the education, help them enjoy going to school and appreciate being around their friends and their peers," Garrett said Friday.
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