Two-time All-ACC Academic Football team honoree defensive lineman Deslin Alexandre knows what it means to champion the community. Alexandre regularly visits patients at the Pittsburg VA Medical Center to support veterans, and he brings them to practice to engage with the team. He participates with literacy initiates in Pittsburg elementary schools—he even participated virtually with pandemic restrictions. Inspired by his heritage, Alexandre has been working on an initiative in Haiti to build awareness of the country's impoverished children. He is a regular volunteer at his Catholic church in downtown Pittsburgh, and during his 2019 visit to Detroit, he collected and packaged goods at the Detroit food bank. He's a Perennial ACC Academic Honor Roll student, elected team captain for the 2021 ACC champion Panthers (ranked 13 in the final national rankings), and entered his final season as a viable national honors candidate and NFL prospect.

Senior linebacker James David Bertrand's prowess shines on and off the field. He is a chapter leader who has led his teammates to raise over $41,000 toward the rare disease community during their annual Lift for Life, ranking second among 28 schools nationwide. With this leadership, the yearly Norte Dame bowling event has risen to new heights, helping local families impacted by rare diseases while creating an opportunity to share memorable experiences between Norte Dame players and the community at large. Bertrand won the Paul D. Gilbert Award for leadership and is a dean's list student who has maintained a 3.61 GPA while pursuing a degree in Marketing.

Senior defense back, Tony Bradford Jr., has proven to be an asset to the Texas Tech football program, and in the community. This former team captain accumulated more than 2,000 community service hours within a two-year period, working with Habitat for Humanity, the Ronald McDonald House and other community organizations. He organizes community cleanups and voter registration drives outside of Texas Tech campus, and Bradford often speaks at youth events, and meets with young athletes, encouraging them to be positive influences in the community. With a heart for social justice, Bradford also helped organize peace walks on campus. Aside from being a leader on the field, on campus and in the community, Bradford is currently working with the Texas Tech Police Department as a security guard. His goal is to become a police chief after his college football career.

Senior defensive back Jailen Branch is a philanthropic pioneer across Massachusetts, in his community and for his team. Co-founder and current president of the BBSA (Bentley Black Student Athlete) organization, Branch is dedicated to lifting Black athletes' voices by partnering with Bentley alumni to create summer internship and mentorship opportunities. Jailen is a demonstrated leader, having acted as the Bentley football team's lead representative with Team IMPACT from 2019-21. Working with Team IMPACT, Branch helped to tackle the social isolation commonly associated with childhood illness and disability by connecting children with collegiate athletic teams. Continuously challenging himself to take on more responsibilities, Branch was the Bentley Falcons' team captain and First-Team All-Northeast-10 in 2021.

Senior quarterback Austin Brenner's mission to serve has taken him far and wide. From leading a summer middle school group to Mazatlán, Mexico, to mission trips to the Dominican Republic, Brenner's drive knows no boundaries. Stateside he has led the Joy of Living retreat, volunteered with Feed My Starving Children, helped set up Ashland Balloon Fest, been a guest speaker at leadership classes in middle schools and high schools, read to elementary schools and volunteered to coach football and train.

Senior kicker Anders Carlson is a community champion in Auburn, Ala., his hometown of Colorado Springs and beyond. Whether he is mentoring high schoolers, serving in the Dominican Republic with his church or fundraising for pediatric cancer, Carlson looks to make positive change wherever he can. He has worked with high school kickers through the Kohls Kicking Camps, partnered with the Church of the Highlands to serve projects in the local area, served with Kick It For Kids to fundraise for pediatric cancer and reads to local elementary school classrooms. Following the 2019 Beauregard Tornado that devastated the local community in East Alabama, Carlson and teammates visited the affected area and cleared damage. On the field, Carlson ranks third in Auburn career scoring (352 points), second in career field goals made (67) and fourth in career PATs made (151).

Redshirt junior defensive tackle DeWayne Carter is an agent of positive change for his community, school and the sport of football. A volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, a student-athlete mentor and peer-appointed Duke Football Accountability Team Leader, Carter's attitude and leadership sets an example for those in his life. The three-time ACC Academic Honor Roll member (3.46 GPA) helps Lakewood Elementary third and fourth graders meet reading initiative goals throughout the year, and he is a regular tutor at KIPP Durham College Preparatory School and Durham Public Schools. Carter, who served as a 2021 Duke Blue Devils team captain, runs United Black Athletes' social channels, and he works as a little league baseball coach for First Calvary Baptist Church in his free time.

Junior wide receiver Garrison Dodge has put in more than 1,500 volunteer hours during his first three years in college. He founded the charity fundraiser Athletes 4 Children where student-athletes can pledge-then play-then pay. For the past two years, Dodge was a leader in the Sexual Assault Awareness Month Planning Commitee, and he has organized donation drives for Project Response, a non-profit crisis center that provides free support and advocacy to survivors of domestic and sexual violence in southeast Nebraska. The President's List recipient also spends his time as a volunteer volleyball and softball coach for fourth and sixth graders. On the field, Dodge is a three-year letterwinner and a scholarship athlete.

Senior safety Matthew Feldick leads his community by example, having spent more than 1,200 hours volunteering for various organizations since 2015. Whether he is spending his time providing counseling and football skill development through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Group, fostering students' growth through Bethel's "BUILD Program" or supporting Model Cities' goal to equip the Rondo neighborhood with opportunities that stabilize and develop families and communities, Feldick has demonstrated a genuine passion to uplift the members of his community. He has been an excellent teacher to players on and off the field, holding the position of Bethel University Royals team captain last season and achieving academic recognition on the Dean's List from 2019-2021 (3.35 GPA).

Redshirt senior defensive end Jordan Ferguson has found a multitude of ways to spread good work in his community, positively affecting many along the way. He launched a nonprofit called Hands Worldwide in his hometown of Atlanta during the 2021 Christmas season, which fed homeless neighbors. That winter, Ferguson purchased blankets to distribute to the homeless in Nashville. He reads to elementary school kids with Reading Raiders, works with underprivileged youth with Camp Ability, helps with the Special Olympics and volunteers with the Boys and Girls Club. Named a Permanent Team Captain at Middle Tennessee State in 2020 and 2021, Ferguson earned the Make A Difference Award at the 2022 Raiders Choice Awards for his work in the community.

Fifth year safety standout Patrick Fields is the true definition of a hometown hero. The Tulsa native is known in the community for his involvement in the town's four-day Juneteenth event, founding and curating his own football camp and back to school bash for the underserved kids in the area. Fields fundraised $50k for the George Kaiser Foundation, which gained the participation of numerous NFL players. He previously played at Oklahoma where he was a two-time captain, and he created the “Town Business Seminar” in Tulsa, which teaches high school football players about financial literacy, personal branding and money management in efforts to eliminate poverty in his beloved hometown.

When Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals became legal for college athletes, graduate offensive lineman Dillan Gibbons launched the nonprofit Big Man, Big Heart to direct NIL earnings into charitable opportunities. The St. Petersburg, Fla., native has raised more than $205,000 since the organization's launch, helping fund experiences and medical costs for children with leukemia, Down syndrome and a rare disease called VACTRL. Gibbons also put Big Man, Big Heart to work for the girlfriend of a former teammate who sustained traumatic injuries when she was hit by a car, raising $72,000 for medical expenses. A member of the 2021 ACC All-Academic Team, Gibbons also organized the Shop with a Player event through the Tallahassee Boys and Girls Club, participated in the GoFundMe College Charity Challenge and planned a Teach a Kid to Fish Event this summer in partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Offensive lineman and graduate student Alan Gorny is at the front line of community philanthropy within his school, the athletic community and beyond. Co-founder of Blue Jays Together, Alan has created a program that allows student-athletes to address mental health issues and equips students with on-campus resources. When he's not leading peer-to-peer discussions within the organization he founded, Alan is volunteering at the Johns Hopkins University Food Pantry and serving as an assistant to the religion school treasurer at the Beth Shalom Synagogue. He also assists at the Johns Hopkins football's annual Be the Match initiative and supports the collaboration between the Johns Hopkins Athletics program and the Henderson Hopkins School, a local inner-city school for children run in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University. In 2021, Alan earned both First Team CoSIDA Academic All-American and CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.

Senior linebacker Caleb High is no stranger to serving his community. He has won numerous charity competition awards, such as the Canned Food Drive where his organization donated more than 2,000 cans to local food pantries. He has also participated in Coats for Kids, a drive in which athletes donate cold-weather clothing for the community and middle school students. On Wednesday nights, you can find High volunteering as an FCA Leader where he has participated in their Spike Ball Tourney fundraiser. Caleb also puts his leadership skills to use as an Avenue Church Camp Youth Leader, a host of the GAC SAAC summer 2021 retreat and an organizer of campus donations for Hurrican Ida relief.

Junior quarterback from Orange, Calif. and 2021 Wuerffel Trophy Watch List nominee, Hilinski is a leader on and off the field. Hilinski is a mental health advocate, mentor and trainer that started the non-profit organization, Hilinski's Hope Foundation, a foundation that is dedicated to raising awareness and to educate student-athletes on mental health. At Northwestern, Hilinski is an exceptional student, majoring in communications and maintaining a 3.2 GPA. He is a member of P.U.R.P.L.E and was one of the many student-athlete leaders that led the Green Bandana Project, a mental health awareness and suicide prevention campaign. Ryan and his family introduced the “Hilinski Hope Game Plan” to universities and colleges across the country, providing student-athletes with opportunities to participate in mental health trainings, promoting self-advocacy and showing the importance of self-care.

Graduate student and wide receiver, Kearis Jackson dedicates his time and efforts into football and building his community. He has led numerous community service projects, such as raising $100,000 for Wi-Fi/hot spots for Athens and Clarke County students during the pandemic and securing 27 thousand pounds of food for Food 2 Kids in Northeast Georgia. On the football field, Jackson became the co-chair of SEC's Leadership Council for Football and was inducted into the UGA Athletic Association's Leadership Education and Development (L.E.A.D program). Over the years, Jackson has shown he is just as much of a scholar as he is a talented football player, earning his undergraduate degree in Housing Management and Policy in Fall 2021. He is currently pursuing his master's degree in Sports Management.

Senior safety Max Jones is a driving force of positive change. Jones founded the Project Proximate fellowship program in 2020 to help Black and Latino college students acquire and develop the tools necessary to be change agents in closing the racial wealth gap. He previously coordinated a partnership with the Boston Consulting Group to pair management consultants and teams of college students with minority entrepreneurs to help minority-owned businesses scale and grow. Jones has plans to continue to develop the program by seeking a 501(c)3 status and pursuing funding to make the fellowship a paid opportunity for students. He spends his free time alternating between volunteering with Refresh Bolivia, a student group focused on health needs, Harvard's Center for Regenerative Medicine and Adams Elementary in East Boston. On the field, Jones opened the past two seasons as a preseason Phil Steele All-Ivy pick and led Harvard in interceptions (3, third in Ivy) and pass breakups (8, sixth in Ivy) in 2019.

Senior linebacker James Kaczor embodies what it means to be a community champion. For the past three years, Kaczor partnered with Feed My Starving Children to pack meals for malnourished children in third world countries. He also worked with Charism, a food pantry serving low-income families in Fargo, N.D. where he played with the children of families during weekly visits in the offseason. Kaczor serves on the leadership team of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which plans events and weekly meetings for student-athletes on the NDSU campus. Kaczor is also involved with the River City Church where he cleans, serves coffee, greets guests and serves in the kids' ministry with children ages 3-7. On the field, the four-time MVFC Honor Roll member has many accolades, including the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference First Team and The AFCA FCS All-America Second Team.

Senior defensive lineman Matt Lilja has made a difference in the lives of many community members. He has connected with children through coaching a youth football team for two years and mentoring an elementary school student with the Raider Buddies Program. Lilja has participated in programs that cleaned up the community after events, and the team captain has served as a leader for his teammates both on the field and off as he tutored and mentored his fellow players to ensure they succeeded academically. Lilja has also walked with the American Heart Association to raise money and awareness, as well as worked with the Red Cross to assist with blood drives.

The positive actions of senior tight end Sione Tuifua can be felt across borders. Whether he is building houses in the Dominican Republic or cleaning up trash in his hometown in Alaska, Tuifua has been a community champion wherever he goes. Tuifua has partnered with a church youth group in Wisconsin to help rebuild the area after it was struck by a tornado, and he has also worked his local church in Alaska with subsistence whaling for the native community. On the field, Tuifua has played on three NAIA National Championship teams with the Morningside University Mustangs and is a two-time Second Team All-GPAC member.

Sophomore quarterback Caleb Williams created the Caleb Cares Foundation, which aims to champion mental health awareness, youth development and take a stand against bullying. Pulling inspiration from his nickname "Superman," Williams hopes to inspire more superheroes to fight bullying and create a difference by mentoring and advocating for children who suffer from this issue. Partnering with the Ad Council, Williams and his organization created and launched a campaign entitled "Seize the Awkward." During his time in high school, he received the Gatorade District of Columbia Player of the Year Award. He donated the $11,000 cash prize to the Bowie Boys and Girls Club to help purchase new computers for their education center. Since then, he's been named 2021 True Freshman All American by ESPN, was a 2021 semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback of the Year and FWAA's Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award.

Senior defensive lineman Michael Wozniak has helped raise nearly $42,000 for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital and more than $23,000 for the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund through Saint John's University football's Tackle Cancer initiative. The positive actions of the 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team recipient doesn't stop there: Wozniak has organized swim meets for local Special Olympians and helped prepare meals through Kids Fighting Hunger. After recovering from a hand injury, Wozniak ended the 2021 season with a team-leading 15.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks, including 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in two NCAA playoff games.

Coach Mark Stoops' passion for caring for others shines through in everything he does. The 2018 SEC Coach of the year is involved in numerous charities and has raised and donated millions of dollars to impactful organizations, all while leading Kentucky to 59 wins since 2013. Stoops runs “Coaches for the Kids” each year, a fundraiser for the Kentucky Children's Hospital, which gifted $1.15 million in March 2022. The money went to three programs: Zero Suicide Academy, which trains hospital staff to identify early signs of suicide risk; LOCUS home monitoring technology, which eases the stress of parents caring for sick children at home; and a mobile clinic that will reach pediatric patients in rural Kentucky. Stoops has also donated to hospital projects such as the Child Life department, a new children's waiting area and inpatient floor renovations. Coach frequently brings his staff and players along with him to the hospital to participate in events and visit families.