HAYDEN HURST, TIGHT END
During his six-year NFL career, Carolina Panthers tight end Hayden Hurst has maintained a steadfast commitment to sharing his time, advocacy and resources to support the military community. For his efforts, he was named one of three finalists for the 2022 NFL's Salute to Service Award. Hayden publicly shared his own personal battle with depression and anxiety in 2020, which opened the door for him to learn about the emotional, mental and psychological challenges faced by active-duty and veteran service members. Through his personal experiences, Hayden and the Hayden Hurst Foundation (HHF) continue to empower veterans and their mental health through a partnership with the Top Dogg K9 Foundation by funding service dogs and their comprehensive training before pairing them with veterans. The Top Dog Foundation recognized Hayden's on-going support by presenting him with the agency's Top Dogg Award at a Panthers home game this season. The HHF also supports the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic which serves the Ft. Liberty community in Fayetteville, NC and a program which addresses the unique mental health needs of military children. Hayden honors military families by providing tickets to each Panthers home game and recognizes the importance of mental health for the military community through the NFL's My Cause My Cleats program. Earlier in his career, Hayden struck a personal connection with a PSA sharing his own experiences and reassuring the military community that "it's OK to not be OK".