Demario Davis (Linebacker)
New Orleans Saints linebacker, Demario Davis, comes from a family with extensive military service and respect for its importance. His father Steven Davis is a veteran of 31 years in the U.S. Army, special forces member and six-time combat veteran. Davis has participated in events during his playing career to provide moral support for military members. Even when he was a member of the New York Jets, he and a teammate served as opposing coaches for an eight-on-eight flag football game. Given Davis' firsthand knowledge of the experience of having a family member who serves in the military, he understands that these individuals are often away from home. As a result, he often works with children of active military through his Devoted Dreamers Foundation, which in addition to a seven-on-seven football team, also specializes in teaching young men and women important life skills. This past spring, Davis, along with four other active NFL stars, participated in an episode of Family Feud against a group of NFL legends that aired in August. As part of defeating the legends, Davis and his teammates' winnings were donated to the Fisher House Foundation, a nonprofit that builds comfort homes located at military and VA medical centers where military and veteran families can stay free of charge, while a loved one is in the hospital. He is a co-founder of the S.H.I.E.L.D I foundation, which he works with to build underserved communities from the ground up, including New Orleans, by focusing on setting them up for long-term sustainability. Davis has a long-term vision to provide U.S. Military veterans with services including long term health and disability insurance, financial assistance, mental health services, professional development, counseling, and financial literacy. "I think Celebrities and athletes get looked up to all the time, but our military are among the real heroes in our nation," said Davis. These are the people who should be celebrated as heroes in our country, who constantly lay their lives on the line for us to enjoy our freedom. We wouldn't be able to live the lives we do if it wasn't for what they do every day."
