On Friday, April 4, James Brown, host of “The NFL Today” on CBS, along with “The NFL Today” analyst and former Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Bill Cowher, honored some of the NFL’s biggest heroes – including Vikings running back Adrian Peterson – at the NFL PLAYERS Gala Featuring the JB Awards, an annual awards presentation benefiting Special Olympics District of Columbia. For the fifth consecutive year, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) and NFL PLAYERS, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFLPA, partnered with Brown to recognize NFL players for their individual contributions to their communities with the JB Awards.
Peterson was recognized at the gala with the “Emerging Leader” Award. Locally, Peterson volunteered his time with Special Olympics Minnesota, the African American Adoption Agency and Make-A-Wish Foundation of Minnesota. He recently formed the Adrian Peterson All Day Foundation and will host a youth football camp in Oklahoma this June.
Others that were recognized at the event included Dan Marino, Derrick Brooks, Amobi Okoye, Marques Douglas, Chris Draft, Warrick Dunn, Braylon Edwards, Israel Idonije, Kassim Osgood, Matt Stover, Mack Strong, James Thrash, Kurt Warner, Brian Waters and Roy Williams.
“The recipients of these prestigious awards are a small representation of NFL players who donate their time, energy and resources to give back to their communities,” said Gene Upshaw, Executive Director of the NFL Players Association. “They are leaders in the locker room and role models for our youth.”