- Saints LB Demario Davis is participating in the NFL’s ‘My Cause My Cleats’ campaign to promote the philanthropic organization Stand Together.
- The ‘My Cause My Cleats’ campaign involves over 1,800 NFL participants highlighting various social causes.
As much as Demario Davis is all-in for the monumental rebuilding task confronting the New Orleans Saints, the veteran linebacker carries on with another mission, too.
Davis sees football as a means to a larger purpose.
“I think it’s a responsibility of humanity to look out for your fellow man,” Davis, 36, told USA TODAY Sports. “I also believe that to sit in the seat that I’m in, to whom much is given, much is required.”
Davis explained the motivation behind his extensive track record for community service against the backdrop of the NFL’s annual My Cause My Cleats campaign. He’s one of more than 1,800 participants – players, coaches, staff, even on-air TV personalities – who will wear cleats or sneakers during Week 12 and Week 13 that highlight social issues and nonprofit organizations. The shoes will be auctioned, with proceeds donated to each individual’s selected cause.
When Davis lines up against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, his cleats will promote Stand Together, a philanthropic organization that assists a multitude of social causes and organizations committed to community service.
From Devoted Dreamers to Stand Together, Davis dreams big for impact
A 14th-year NFL veteran, Davis established a foundation with his wife, Tamela, shortly after his pro career began in 2012, that supports the development of youth through a wide array of programs. In 2020, Davis’ foundation aligned with Stand Together, which he said has been key to taking his vision for broader impact to a higher level.
“They’ve helped us realize that we can help the country,” Davis said, adding that Stand Together, based in Arlington, Virginia, works with more than 350 organizations in 600-plus communities nationwide.
Davis opened the Devoted Dreamers Academy in 2023, which supports youth with after-school enrichment programs, camps, conferences and the like, with a template that can be applied by other organizations. The academy’s name fits. Davis dreams big for impact.
“Someone took the time and invested in me,” said Davis, a devout Christian, alluding to the team chaplain at Arkansas State who helped him get back on track during a pivotal juncture in his life. “When you invest in other people, I realize how it can change the trajectory of their lives. To be somebody living out their dream, I want other people to live out their dreams as well.”
Over the years, Davis estimates that his foundation’s work – with a mission to provide spiritual, mental, academic, social and physical support – has touched more than 10,000 kids.
“Whatever the dreams are, they’re going to need the resources to do it,” said Davis, whose initial outreach included efforts in his home state of Mississippi. “We saw change that needed to happen in our communities and inside the school system and went to work at it in 2013, and now it’s been over a decade that we’ve been at that work.”
‘It’s the shoes, Homey!’ My Cause My Cleats’ purpose extends beyond football
It’s a noble purpose. Of course, Davis shares the spotlight with hundreds of others in the NFL universe who will highlight issues and organizations that they passionately care about. Given the level of participation, it is inspiring that My Cause My Cleats has routinely been one of the NFL’s most widely-supported community-service campaigns – complete with the elaborate creative art displayed on the cleats and sneakers.
To borrow an Air Jordan-influenced phrase from Spike Lee’s iconic character, Mars Blackmon: ‘It’s the shoes, Homey!’
Causes and organizations highlighted by other players include cancer prevention, mental health, social justice, military appreciation and disease awareness, among others.
“Although the cleats are on my feet, it’s not about me,” said Davis, who has reflected a cause with his cleats in each year since 2017. “The work is so much bigger than me. I’m using the cleats to highlight something going on around the nation, because that’s what it’s about. It’s about purpose.”
A larger purpose that goes far beyond football.
Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X: @JarrettBell