Devin McCourty
SAFETY
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Demonstrates Excellence on The Field
Now in his 11th NFL season, Devin has been elected a team captain for 10 consecutive years. He has started every NFL game that he has played in – missing just five total games due to injury. During that time span, the Patriots have won ten AFC East division titles, five AFC championships and three Super Bowls. He has been named to the Pro Bowl four times (2010, 2014, 2016 and 2017) and earned Associated Press All-Pro Second Team honors at cornerback (2010) and safety in (2013, 2016). He is just the third player to earn All-Pro honors at both cornerback and safety (Ronnie Lott and Rod Woodson). In September of 2019, Devin was named the AFC's Defensive Player of the Month. He is a member of the Patriots 2010's All Decade Team and a member of the Rutgers University Hall of Fame (2016).
Demonstrates Dedication and Commitment to Community Efforts this Year
Devin has been very active in the community over the past year, despite the challenges of the pandemic and unprecedented demands of the 2020 season, supporting a wide variety of initiatives and organizations addressing issues of equity, equality and justice. At the Patriots regular season finale, Devin hosted a group of formerly incarcerated, wrongfully convicted men who were exonerated of their crimes with the help of the New England Innocence Project. A couple weeks later, Devin hosted advanced screening of the film, "Just Mercy'' for his teammates, Patriots staff and judges in Massachusetts. The film tells the true story of a defense attorney and his work to free a wrongly condemned death-row prisoner. In March, as the COVID-19 stay at home orders began, Devin recruited teammates to purchase more than $30,000 in gift cards for inner city families. Also, in March, Devin and his brother Jason purchased $90,000 worth of Chromebooks for students who did not have access to computers at home. In May, Devin participated in a virtual gala for Bottom Line, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping low-income and first-generation college students prepare for and excel in college. In June, after one-on-one conversations with Devin, the Kraft family announced the creation of the Kraft Family/Patriots Player Collaborative Fund to distribute $100,000 per month for 10 months to local grassroots organizations fighting for equity, working to end systemic racism and creating meaningful change in the community. Devin is one of four players on the steering committee, helping to hand pick all of the recipients. Since June, the fund has directed grants to organizations addressing the issues of evictions and foreclosure, digital equity, the increase in violence in our communities since the start of the pandemic and the issues faced by our immigrant communities. That same month, Devin facilitated a roundtable discussion about racism and the ongoing protests all across the country. He also participated in a discussion about social justice with teammates during a special, hour-long episode of Patriots All-Access. Also in June, Devin was named as the "2020 Uncornered Champion" for his dedication to Boston Uncornered, a nonprofit that redirects the entrepreneurial, networking and leadership skills of gang-involved youth from violence and incarceration to educational empowerment and employment opportunities. In honor of Devin's recognition, Robert Kraft announced that Boston Uncornered would be the first $100,000 beneficiary of the Kraft Family/Patriots Player Collaborative Fund. In early October, Devin and Jason announced a $50,000 donation to Great Egleston High School in Boston. The donation was conducted in partnership with the Players Coalition to help ensure that the high school students receive the appropriate technology needs for this school year.
These funds will also help students experiencing financial hardships by providing clothing, hygiene products and other necessities. A few weeks later, Devin and Jason hosted a virtual fundraiser benefiting the Tackle Sickle Cell campaign, an initiative that they started back in 2013 to help the fight against sickle cell disease. This year's fundraiser raised over $250,000 in support of the Boston Medical Center and Next Step.
Demonstrates Dedication and Commitment to Community to Community Efforts in Years Past
Devin has consistently been the most active player in the community since being drafted in 2010. Whether its promoting exercise and fitness, offering support to families during the holidays, or advocating for criminal justice and education reform, Devin is determined to make a difference. Another cause that he has a long history of supporting is something that hits close to home – sickle cell disease. In 2013, the McCourty brothers launched the "McCourty Twins Tackle Sickle Cell" initiative. The campaign aims to educate the public, increase blood donations and raise funds to support research and treatments. They have hosted blood drives up and down the east coast, met with doctors and researchers across the world to learn more about the research that's being done and advocated for those who are battling the disease. Since its inception, the McCourty Twins have raised more than $2 million to support the Boston Medical Center, the Embrace Kids Foundation and Next Step, helping ease the burden and improve the quality of life for children battling sickle cell and other blood disorders. Progress continues to be made and Devin (and Jason) hope that the funds they raise will play a role in helping to one day find a cure for the disease. Devin has been a member of the Players Coalition Task Force since the nonprofit's inception and is committed to making an impact on social justice and racial equality at the federal, state and local levels. In this role, Devin focuses on bail reform, education and prosecutor accountability. He is also the Chair of the Players Coalition Education and Economic Advancement committee. In this role, Devin has effected change in Massachusetts legislation. He visited the Massachusetts State House and participated in panels to advocate for "An Act Relative to Criminal Justice Reform," effectively raising the age at which children can be charged in juvenile court from 7 to 12. The bill successfully passed in April of 2018. In July, Devin and his brother Jason co-authored a Medium piece about the disparities in educational funding, showing their support for the Student Opportunity Act. He attended several hearings to voice his support and thanks in part to Devin's advocacy, the Student Opportunity Act passed. It will provide more than $1.5 billion in funding to underserved public schools in Massachusetts. Since its inception in 2019, Patriots players have donated $900,000 to local organizations. In addition to large grants, the players have retained a "slush fund" to react quickly to immediate needs, and have supported a number of individuals facing hard times. Each season, Devin has lead the research efforts of local causes that are of utmost importance to the players and has presented opportunities to the team to support impactful nonprofits in the region. Devin has maintained relationships with several of these nonprofits, going above and beyond just making the donation. He has visited the organizations, met with their staffs and clients and learned how the donations have benefitted their programs. Devin has also participated in ride alongs with police officers to various districts of Boston and several housing projects and has invited community groups to be his special guests at Patriots games and training camp.
Demonstrates Consistency in Positive Character and Models a Lifestyle of Giving Back
Devin has served as an inspiration to coaches and players across the NFL. In May of 2020, Devin – and his brother Jason – were selected as finalists for the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award. After that announcement, Bill Belichick congratulated Devin, saying, "You are the ultimate role model…You are a great example of the impact that someone can have with great wisdom, leadership, courage and passion. Conversations across our country and within our team will help lead to paving the way for a better future…Healthy discussion leads to actions, and actions that you have brought to the forefront have resulted in progress." Tom Brady also delivered a message to Devin, saying, "I know sometimes you wouldn't think that I would be looking up to you because I'm a lot older than you, but the reality is I have, and I've learned more from you than you probably ever learned from me. You're a wonderful man. You mean a lot to me, you mean a lot to our team, and now as you're growing older into a different role, you're meaning a lot to others in the community, and you're using all the wonderful things that pro football has brought you to bring a voice to those who don't quite have the voice that we have. You fight for people that can't often fight for themselves." For his community efforts, Devin has received the Champions Award from Boston Children's Hospital, the Yogi Berra Community Service Award and is a two-time nominee for the NFLPA's Byron Whizzer White Award. In 2014, Devin received the Patriots Ron Burton Community Service Award.
