Dustin Colquitt
PUNTER
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
For the 13th year, Dustin Colquitt is partnered with TeamSmile and currently sits on its Board of Directors. This affiliation continues a family tradition as his mother has spent a career working in a dental office while his wife initially had plans to be a dental hygienist when they initially met at the University of Tennessee. In 2019 alone, Colquitt's efforts at TeamSmile are projected to result in 8,500 underserved children receiving $3.8M in free dental and preventative care. Those figures will surpass last season's high-water marks when TeamSmile conducted more clinic programs (29), served a greater number of children (5,432), and provided more complementary oral-health services ($2M) than ever before. This exponential jump in numbers was made possible thanks to Colquitt's continued financial support of the charity. Specifically, he made the decision to donate the grant money he received from his Man of the Year nomination last year to TeamSmile. As a result, this afforded TeamSmile the ability to upgrade the dental equipment it had been using, which was over a decade old and outdated. As a result, TeamSmile has become even more efficient with their clinics than ever before. Additionally, Dustin is again holding a "Punting for Smiles" campaign where $500 per punt inside the 20-yard line is donated to TeamSmile. For every $50 raised, a child will receive on average $450 worth of dental services. As a result, the group updated their decade-old equipment.
However, this isn't the only focus of Dustin's work related to the health and wellness of children. He furthermore has been a steadfast Fuel Up to Play 60 Ambassador, visiting area schools to share the benefits of eating right and staying active.
Since 2007, Colquitt's TeamSmile leadership has ensured more than 50,000 children have received in excess of $22.5M in free dental and preventative care services with many of the schools that TeamSmile recruits from, this is the only dental opportunity for their children. Additionally, the program has spread from a pilot program with the Kansas City Chiefs to having transpired at over 40 different professional sports teams thanks to his active recruitment efforts to make a difference in other communities. Personally, Dustin has solicited other players, franchises, commissioners and owners to consider hosting a TeamSmile event. In that way, he has used not just his treasure but also the influence afforded by his status as an NFL player to continue and help those in need. Dustin also has a history of involvement with Kids TLC for Children and Families, an agency focused on evidence-based therapies and trauma-informed care. He chaired TLC's Gala from 2010-14, raising $2.78M in that time, while also helping lead a successfully completed $7M capital campaign allowing TLC to reach the autistic community. He still works with TLC to recruit their clients to TeamSmile local programs and services.
From high school visits with his father, a Super Bowl champion, and brother, a fellow NFL punter himself, at a local penitentiary for troubled youth to including his five children and wife with his current efforts, Dustin practices a lifetime of giving back. His family endowed the "First Family of Fourth Down Scholarship Fund" at the University of Tennessee. He personally donates $20K to TeamSmile each year in addition to dedicating countless hours to mentoring initiatives through his church, Athletes in Action and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Most recently, he leveraged a business relationship to join together with the American Red Cross and provide vital funding to that agency's relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian. He is a man of high character and a true role model as evident by the reverence used by his teammates whenever they reference Colquitt and his outreach efforts.
Dustin established the Kicks for Kids Foundation shortly after entering the NFL. He was the Chiefs recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award (2010), a finalist for the Byron "Whizzer" White Award (2015), as well as a nominee for both the Walter Payton NFL MOY (2009 & 2018) and Bart Starr (2018 & 2019) awards. Previously, Colquitt worked with All-Pro Dad, the National Center for Fathering and the United Way. Additionally, he has taken an active role in fundraisers for Children's Mercy Hospital and the Lake of the Ozarks General Hospital while also participating in the faith-based "Convoy of Hope" mission trip to Haiti. Dustin has also lent his name in support of such Chiefs charitable efforts as Red Friday (supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities), the Chiefs Charity Game (now supporting Cornerstones of Care) and Crucial Catch (where he's been active in support of both the American Cancer society and the University of Kansas Cancer Center).
