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It's all about the shoes — and charity: Jaguars unveil player footwear for 'My Cause My Cleats'

garry smits, florida times-union
·4 min read

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will be supporting the elimination of poverty in Jacksonville.

Linebacker Chad Muma, speaking from personal experience, will be all-in for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

Jaguars coach Doug Pederson, offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor, wide receiver Zay Jones, running back Trevor Etienne and running back JaMycal Hasty will be bringing awareness to diseases that claimed loved ones.

And DaVon Hamilton and Andrew Wingard will be advocating pet adoptions.

More Jaguars coverage

The Jaguars and the rest of the NFL will be participating in the NFL's annual "My Cause, My Cleats" campaign. On Sunday, NFL players, coaches and staff will wear cleats and shoes honoring charities and organizations that they support.

Jaguars offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor will wear cleats on Sunday honoring the memory of his father, Robert, who passed away earlier this year.
Jaguars offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor will wear cleats on Sunday honoring the memory of his father, Robert, who passed away earlier this year.

Each shoe will tell a personal story. After players wear their shoes — in the Jags case, at Detroit on Sunday — they have the option of donating the shoes to the charities to be sold at auctions, with the proceeds going to the charities.

The Jaguars unveiled the cleats and shoes that will be worn by more than 50 players and coaches that are participating. In most cases, each pair tells a personal story.

For example, Muma lives with Type 1 Diabetes.

“I’m representing the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation on my cleats because I want kids to know that T1D doesn't define your life,” said Muma in his statement explaining his choice. “I was diagnosed with T1D when I was 13-years-old and today I’m an NFL player. If you’re living with T1D, whatever goals you have, either sports or other walks of life, just go attack it!”

Some players have been representing their causes since they were in college, such as center Luke Fortner and the Kentucky Children’s Hospital, where he was a frequent volunteer, and kicker Riley Patterson and the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, where he completed two internships.

Numerous players are representing child-based groups such as the Boys and Girls Clubs and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. And 22 members of the Jaguars coaching staff will wear shoes representing the Jaguars Foundation.

Jaguars coach Doug Pederson is wearing shoes honoring his brother and to bring awareness to the disease that claimed his life, pancreatic cancer.
Jaguars coach Doug Pederson is wearing shoes honoring his brother and to bring awareness to the disease that claimed his life, pancreatic cancer.

Jacksonville-based organizations are also represented throughout this year’s My Cause My Cleats campaign. Examples include wide receiver Jamal Agnew (Jacksonville Public Education Fund “The Ones” program), linebacker Josh Allen (Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Florida) and Lawrence (LiftJax and the Outeast community).

“The future of Jacksonville is extremely important to me and my wife, Marissa, and that’s why we chose to represent LiftJax," he said.

Jaguars My Cleats My Cause

Jamal Agnew, Jacksonville Public Education Fund

Josh Allen, Boys & Girls Club of NE Florida

Dan Arnold, Boys & Girls Club of Janesville, WI

Kevin Austin, Boys & Girls Clubs of America

CJ Beathard, First Coast Women Services of Jacksonville

Montaric Brown, Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Tevaughn Campbell, Ronald McDonald House

Tyson Campbell, National Urban League

Andre Cisco, Sulzbacher Center

Chris Claybrooks, Lupus Foundation of America

Logan Cooke, Turkeys for Tomorrow

De'Shaan Dixon, YMCA of Norfolk, VA

Evan Engram, North Florida School of Special Education

Travis Etienne, Lupus Foundation of America

Luke Farrell, Special Olympics

Foley Fatukasi, Rock the Block Foundation

Luke Fortner, Kentucky Children's Hospital

Davon Hamilton, Animal Care and Protective Services

JaMycal Hasty, National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation

Tre Herndon, Feeding NE Florida

Rayshawn Jenkins, Headstrong Foundation & National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition

Caleb Johnson, Good Peoples Foundation

Zay Jones, Alzheimer's Association

Tim Jones, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

Gregory Junior, American Cancer Society

Arden Key, Boys & Girls Clubs of Decatur, GA

Trevor Lawrence, LiftJAX

Walker Little, Wounded Warrior Project

Devin Lloyd, Wounded Warrior Project

Chris Manhertz, Mosholu Montefiore Community Center Boys & Girls Club

Ross Matiscik, Fuel Up to Play 60

Jaylon Moore, American Cancer Society

Chad Muma, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

Foye Oluokun, Lift for Life Academy

Ayo Oyelola, Lives not Knives (England)

Riley Patterson, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital

Corey Peters, Peters Educational Enrichment Project

Kendric Pryor, Ronald McDonald House

Shaquille Quarterman, TheShaqQuartermanFoundation

Roy Robertson-Harris, Big Brothers Big Sisters

Mekhi Sargent, Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Brandon Scherff, Aiming for a Cure Foundation

Tyler Shatley, Sponsored by Grace

Dawuane Smoot, Better Dads Society

Ty Summers, Make-A-Wish

Jawaan Taylor, Jawaan Taylor Foundation

Daniel Thomas, National Autism Association

Travon Walker, Ronald McDonald House

Seth Williams, Salvation Army

Andrew Wingard, Jacksonville Humane Society

Contact Garry Smits at gsmits@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @GSmitter

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars unveil player cleats to be worn at Detroit for 'My Cause My Cleats'