Andrew Whitworth
LEFT TACKLE
LOS ANGELES RAMS
Demonstrates Excellence on The Field
A four-time Pro-Bowler and two time All-Pro, Andrew is a 15-year veteran who has competed in 223 career games with 219 starts. After a win over his former team last season, Andrew became the 12th starter in the modern era of the NFL with victories over all 32 teams.
Demonstrates Dedication and Commitment to Community Efforts this Year
Andrew Whitworth is not only having one of his best seasons in the NFL in 2020 (currently PFF's #1 ranked left tackle at the age of 38), but he continues to be a community leader and showcase a unique ability to galvanize his teammates and others to support causes important to him and the Rams organization. In the wake of civil unrest that struck the nation following the death of George Floyd, the Rams started a Social Justice Fund that invites players and coaches to make donations to help support local non-profit organizations that address areas such as education inequities, community-police relations, mentorship programming, prison reform/anti-recidivism, youth justice, workforce development, financial literacy, food insecurity and homelessness. Andrew has agreed to match all proceeds raised for the fund throughout season. (As of November 1, he is planning to contribute more than $215,000 to support the team's social justice efforts.)
In March of 2020, Andrew made a $250K donation to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to serve as a lead gift to kick off the team's virtual Te'LA'thon for Los Angeles in partnership with KABC. The initiative aimed to assist SoCal response efforts during the unprecedented global health crisis. Whitworth's contribution financed a total of 1 million meals that were distributed to Angelenos in need. In 2020, Andrew funded STEAM Labs at two elementary schools to help close the technology gap for low-income students and provide them opportunities to achieve upward mobility. In January, he unveiled the "Big Whit STEAM Lab" during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 112th Street Elementary in Watts and is currently supporting a STEAM Lab at Stevenson Elementary in Burbank.
For the third consecutive year, Andrew is serving as a chairman for the team's 3rd Annual "LA Rams Night for Wishes" to raise funds to fulfill the wishes of children who are battling life-threatening medical conditions. During the holidays of 2019, Whitworth funded a shopping spree for 77 youth with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County, providing each child with a $100 gift card to purchase items on their holiday wish lists. A few days later, Andrew teamed up with United Way of Greater Los Angeles to make the holidays brighter for local children and families who were battling homelessness or had recently transitioned into supportive housing. Each of the 114 children received a wrapped gift from their wish list. He also surprised 77 families living in temporary housing with a $500 Albertsons/Vons/Pavilions grocery gift card and treated them to a catered holiday meal.
Demonstrates Dedication and Commitment to Community Efforts in Years Past
Since joining the Rams in 2017, Andrew has been the ultimate community champion, assisting with various community efforts ranging from education to youth health to homelessness – Los Angeles' most defining issue. During his first season in Los Angeles in 2017, Andrew purchased new bikes and helmets for all 600 students at an elementary school in Watts, one of Los Angeles' highest-need communities. During his visit to the school, he spoke to the students about displaying good character and led them in a character pledge before surprising each student with the new bikes and helmets. As a chairman for the team's annual "LA Rams Night for Wishes", Andrew has recruited teammates to join him to help raise more than $400,000 to grant wishes for children battling life-threatening diseases. In May of 2019, he served as a team captain for United Way of Greater Los Angeles' HomeWalk, the nation's largest fundraiser to end homelessness and help individuals and families secure the safety and stability of a home. Living up to his deserving reputation as the ultimate community leader, Andrew matched the funds raised by Rams fans and community supporters with a $16,325 donation. For Read Across America Day in 2019, Andrew visited a local elementary school to connect with students and announce a $20,000 donation to the "First Quarter for Literacy" initiative designed to get books to children in underserved communities.
After a series of tragedies struck the Southern California region in 2018, the team captain donated a game check to the families of the victims of the mass shooting at the Borderline Bar and Grill and hosted families in a suite for the Rams Monday Night Football game. He also auctioned off his game-worn jersey to raise money for families affected by the shooting and the wildfires that displaced many across the region the weeks leading up to the game. Andrew also continues to support various military and veteran efforts, with a focused passion for supporting Merging Vets and Players. He makes frequent visits to veteran centers and meets with service members to explore the ways he can help support their return home from overseas as they reintegrate back into society. From 2017 – 2019, Andrew purchased 50 tickets for every Rams home game and donated them to local charities and schools. Aside from his efforts in Los Angeles, Andrew was also a community steward in Cincinnati during his time with the Bengals. Before joining the Rams, he started The Big Whit 77 Foundation, which has a mission to impact the lives of youth and families in his home state of Louisiana. One of the foundation's programs, Whit's Warriors, offers financial assistance to high school seniors in Louisiana. The program has awarded $400,000 in scholarships and school supplies. Another program of the foundation is called Open Arms, which is one of the only programs in the state of Louisiana that offers financial assistance to families in the process of adoption. The Whitworths launched Open Arms with a belief that families, who have the desire to adopt, are not turned away due to overwhelming costs.
Demonstrates Consistency in Positive Character and Models a Lifestyle of Giving Back
Andrew is always exercising his leadership position to encourage his teammates to give back to the community. The morning after the Borderline Grill mass shooting in 2018, which resulted in the death of 13 people, Andrew asked Coach McVay if he could address his teammates and coaches during their team meeting. Andrew has been named a captain by his teammates in all four seasons with the Rams and was a team captain in eight of his 11 years with the Bengals. "I've been blessed to play in this league for 15 years and to be a part of some really good seasons," said Whitworth. "But making a difference in someone's life will go beyond football any day of the week. It's not just about the game, it's about the opportunity to bring people together. When I look back and think about my NFL career, the time spent out in the community giving back to people in need will always be the most touching to me."
