2022 Heisman Humanitarian

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI

2022 HEISMAN HUMANITARIAN

Mike Krzyzewski, better known as Coach K, has been an icon of college basketball for over forty years. During his historic tenure as head coach of Duke, starting in 1980, he maintained a 1,129–309 record, making him the winningest coach in NCAA Division l history. This impressive record has directly translated into five national championship titles (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015) as well as 13 Final Four appearances. He has also been recognized as National Coach of the Year 12 times, America’s Best Coach by CNN/Time in 2001, and Sports Illustrated “Sportsman of the Year” in 2011. He ended his coaching position at Duke after the 2021–22 season, during which he coached his grandson and led Duke once more to the Final Four. While gaining his fame in the realm of college basketball, Coach K’s achievements stretch beyond the NCAA. Notably, he coached the U.S. men’s national basketball team in the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympics, winning gold in each of these appearances. Coach K adds the Heisman Humanitarian Award to his extensive list of accolades, alongside membership in the Naismith Memorial Basketball, College Basketball, United States Olympic, and FIBA Halls of Fame. Although these athletic feats are impressive on both the national and international stage, Coach K has also accomplished valuable philanthropic work that some might argue has had even greater impact. In February 2006, Coach K founded the Emily K Center in Durham, North Carolina. It is named after his mother,

a tribute to the incredibly significant role she played in his life and education. Her support, devotion, and love—coupled with her fantastic work ethic—provided young Mike with an example he would follow for the rest of his life. She encouraged Mike to attend West Point as a first-generation college student where he also played basketball. Her emphasis on education, coupled with her unwavering support of his athletic pursuits, has molded Coach K into the man he is today and has inspired him to do the same for thousands of young people. Besides his mother, Coach grew up with another important influence in his life, the local community center, which became his second home as a child, affording his family a place to hone skills, make friends, and strengthen neighborhood ties. The community center changed his life and set the example for the Emily K Center. Coach’s goal for the Emily K Center was to provide a safe and nurturing environment for children to succeed. A place that would inspire its youth to dream big and reach their potential as leaders in the community, as he has. And Coach K wanted to give children who may not have the chance, an opportunity to earn a college degree. As Founder and Board Chair, Coach K has seen the Emily K Center blossom from a small program serving just 38 students to a prospering academic center serving 2000 students annually. The Center’s program’s focus on high school and college accessibility and enrollment has made it a prime resource for all students in the Durham community. “The happiness of a youngster and his family coming into the center for instruction—for help” is what Krzyzewski once said stands out to him the most. He wants children to have a place to go, just like he did as a child. “It’s kind of like they call it their second home. It’s a place where not only do people care about them and want to teach them, but it’s also a place where people believe in them. And they believe in the outcome of what will happen while they’re there.” Krzyzewski is giving children the chance to succeed in ways they may not have known were possible or available to them. In addition to serving students, the Emily K Center operates as a meeting place for all Durham community members, as it avails its facilities to dozens of schools, organizations, and groups in the area. Beyond his work with the Emily K Center, Coach K has also been involved with many other charitable groups including the Duke Children’s Hospital, the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the Children’s Miracle Network, and the American Cancer Society’s Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. There are bound to be feelings of nostalgia and confusion as Duke Basketball navigates its first season without Krzyzewski as the head coach in over four decades. But there is no doubt that Coach K’s presence will continue to be felt amongst the Blue Devils and the rest of college basketball. Outside of basketball, Coach K’s influence on the Durham community, and beyond, has and will continue to be felt through his impact on the youth at the Emily K Center and his other philanthropic pursuits. The Heisman Trophy Trust is proud to name Mike Krzyzewski—Coach K—as the the 2022 Heisman Humanitarian.

2021 CURTIS GRANDERSON

MLB star Curtis Granderson continues to be an ambassador for the sport in his retirement. He serves as President of the Players Alliance, a player-led organization that aims to create an inclusive culture within baseball—where differences are leveraged to elevate racial equality and provide greater opportunities for the Black community. He received the 2016 Roberto Clemente Award, presented to a player who best represents baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions both on and off the field. Curtis is also a supporter of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, one of the nation’s premier scholarship and leadership development programs for minority college students. And he made a $5 million donation to the MLB academy in Chicago—the single biggest donation ever made by a Major League player. Curtis created the Grand Kids Foundation in 2007 to foster positive youth development through education, physical fitness and nutrition. Since its inception Grand Kids has helped over two million kids live more active lives. In 2013, Granderson expanded the reach of his foundation to address food insecurity in the communities they were serving. Grand Giving, a month-long program, hosted each November, raises funds and awareness surrounding the food insecurity that prevents many children from reaching their true potential. Grand Giving has provided over 40 million meals to children and families in need. www.grandkids.org

2019 KRISTI YAMAGUCHI

Kristi Yamaguchi is known for her hard work and dedication throughout her figure skating career. In 1986, she won her first U.S. Championship title with doubles partner Rudy Galindo, another World Juniors Championship two years later, and back-to-back seniors titles in 1989 and 1990. Yamaguchi then focused on singles skating and won the World Championship in 1991 and 1992 and a gold medal in the 1992 Winter Olympics. She was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1998, the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1999, and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2005. In 1996, Kristi founded Always Dream to support underprivileged and disabled children through summer camps, after-school programs and financial support for back-to-school supplies. As a mother and a children’s book author herself, Yamaguchi understands the crucial role that books play in children’s literacy development, so she shifted the focus of Always Dream to improving early childhood literacy. Always Dream provides high-quality books, digital tablets and a book coach to support parent engagement and foster children’s love for reading. During the 2022–23 school year, Always Dream will serve 2,800 students and family members and partner with 71 schools in California and Hawaii. www.alwaysdream.org

2018 MARK TEIXEIRA

Mark Teixeira played 14 seasons with Major League Baseball for the Rangers, Braves, Angels, and Yankees. He was a three-time All-Star and a 2009 World Series Champion. He finished his career with 409 home runs and finished second in the 2009 MVP race. Teixeira has long been serious about giving back to the communities in which he has lived and played. After signing his first MLB contract, he endowed a scholarship at his high school in honor of a friend who had been killed in a car accident, and set up a charitable fund supporting six scholarships at Dallas-Fort Worth area high schools. He serves on the board of The Emerald Corridor Foundation, which works to restore safe green spaces and waterways in Northwest Atlanta and strengthen the community via education, job training, and employment opportunities. Since his days with the Yankees, Teixeira has been a supporter of DREAM, a NY youth development organization that uses the power of teams to inspire inner-city youth to recognize their potential and realize their dreams through its school, after-school, and summer programs. DREAM has also been supported by the Heisman Trophy Trust. In 2020, Teixeira partnered with Depend and the Prostate Cancer Foundation for the Stand Strong for Men’s Health campaign, helping to destigmatize male incontinence and raise awareness and money for prostate cancer research.

Ernie Els is one of the most accomplished golfers in the world, with 72 career victories, including four major championships—two at the U.S. Open and two at The Open Championship. He is also a seven-time winner of the World Match Play Championship, and was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame his first time on the ballot in 2010. Inspired by their son’s 2009 autism diagnosis, Ernie Els and his wife, Liezl created the Els for Autism Foundation which offers innovative, evidence-based programs for families and individuals across the life-span, in six focus areas: Education, Research, Global Support, Recreation Services, Adult Services and Therapy Services. The Els for Autism Foundation serves families around the world, and also offers in-person programs and services at The Els Center of Excellence in Jupiter, Florida. “When my wife Liezl and I started the Foundation back in 2009, our son Ben had just been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder,” Els explains. “From the beginning, our goal has been to create The Center of Excellence as an example of what can be available to individuals on the spectrum. The Center has all the essential components on one campus, which makes it easier for families. It’s a game changer for the local and international autism community.” www.elsforautism.org

2016 ALAN PAGE

A star defensive lineman for Notre Dame, Alan Page played for teams that went a combined 25-4-1 while winning the 1966 national title. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings and led them to four Super Bowls, and in 1971 he became the first defensive player to win the NFL’s MVP award. While playing for the Vikings he earned his law degree at the University of Minnesota. After his retirement from football in 1981, Page joined the state attorney general’s office before becoming the Assistant Attorney General. In 1992 he was elected an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court—the first African-American to hold a statewide elected office in Minnesota. He was re-elected three times before retiring in 2015. Justice Page and his daughter, Kamie Page, have written four children’s picture books, Alan and His Perfectly Pointy Impossibly Perpendicular Pinky (2013), The Invisible You (2014), Grandpa Alan’s Sugar Shack (2017), and Bee Love (Can Be Hard) (2020). In November 2018, Justice Page received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2019 he was chosen as a member of the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. The Page Education Foundation was founded in 1988 by Alan and his wife Diane to financially support college students’ academic goals while fostering positive mentor relationships and encouraging role models for children. In return for their scholarship, recipients provide fifty hours of volunteer mentoring and tutoring to children in grades K–8. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded over $16 million in grants to more than 8,000 Page Scholars who have volunteered nearly 500,000 hours, working with 50,000 children across Minnesota. Diane Page passed away in 2018; to recognize her critical role in starting and growing the Foundation, it has been formally renamed The Page Education Foundation Founded by Diane and Alan Page. www.page-ed.org

2015 BOOMER ESIASON

Former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason is the most visible national figure in the fight against cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive systems of 30,000 children and adults in the United States. Throughout his career in professional sports and the media, Esiason has been a committed and active participant in many charitable causes, but he began focusing on cystic fibrosis in 1993 when his son, Gunnar, was diagnosed with the disease. In 1994, Esiason launched the Boomer Esiason Foundation, a dynamic partnership of leaders in the medical and business communities joining with a committed core of volunteers to heighten awareness, education and quality of life for those affected by cystic fibrosis, while providing financial support to research aimed at finding a cure. The Boomer Esiason Foundation has raised millions to support research toward a cure for CF, as well as programs directly benefiting the CF community. The Foundation has touched many lives by providing hospital grants, transplant grants, scholarships, education, and awareness of CF. Because of their and others’ tireless commitment, the median age of CF patients has risen to nearly forty years old. www.esiason.org

2014 JOE TORRE

Joe Torre has become one of the most recognizable faces of baseball over the course of more than a half-century in the game. Despite a successful fifteen-year playing career that included several All-Star selections and the 1971 MVP, Torre is best remembered as one of the most successful managers of all-time. Torre won four World Series rings in five years with the New York Yankees in the late 1990s, and the team reached the playoffs in each of his twelve seasons in the Bronx. In 2002, Torre and his wife Ali founded the Safe at Home Foundation, dedicated to ending the cycle of domestic violence. Inspired by Torre’s own childhood spent living in an abusive home, Safe at Home has launched national awareness campaigns and established in-school initiatives—called Margaret’s Place, in honor of Torre’s mother— that provide children with a safe space and a professional counselor trained in domestic violence intervention. Safe At Home now has 20 Margaret’s Place program sites across the country in schools and community-based settings. Each year, they provide services to more than 19,000 young people ages 11 through 18, many of whom are impacted by trauma and violence in their homes, schools, and communities. www.joetorre.org

2013 DAVID ROBINSON

David Robinson’s charitable efforts are just as admirable as his achievements on the court. Beginning at the Gates Elementary School in San Antonio in 1991, he offered a $2,000 scholarship to every fifth grader who finished high school and attended college. He kept his pledge, and in 1998, even quadrupled his donation, awarding $8,000 to each student who received a diploma. Soon after his initial commitment to the Gates Elementary students, David and his wife Valerie founded the David Robinson Foundation. In 2000, the foundation raised $9 million to create the Carver Academy, an independent pre-K through eighth grade school for the underserved population of East San Antonio. Robinson received the Patriot Award, the highest award given by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, which in 2000, was presented to professional athletes to recognize the important role that sport plays in military morale. Robinson also encourages other celebrities to utilize their respective platforms for the greater good. He cofounded the Admiral Capital Group in 2007, and in 2008 he created The Admiral Center, which helps celebrities find the right cause to support, using their influence to bring attention and action. In 2012, the Robinsons partnered with IDEA charter schools to include Carver Academy in the IDEA charter network. www.admiralcapitalgroup.com

2012 JEFF GORDON

Jeff Gordon is a four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and one of the world’s most recognizable drivers. He began racing at the age of five and had won 35 main events by age six. With 86 career wins, he ranks third on the all-time wins list. Inspired by his crew chief’s son’s battle with leukemia, Jeff established the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation in 1999, to aid in the fight against pediatric cancer. In 2007 he founded the Jeff Gordon Children’s Hospital in Concord, NC, serving children in the community with a high level of primary and specialty pediatric care, regardless of their ability to pay. What started as a small project driven by one special child has grown into an organization that has raised many millions of dollars for children’s health organizations. In 2011, Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation extended its efforts, bringing pediatric cancer care to Rwanda, Africa. With the Foundation’s support, organizations are able to improve patients’ quality of life, provide essential treatments, and conduct medical research. The Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation has contributed over $16 million to support children battling cancer. www.jeffgordonchildrensfoundation.org

2011 MARTY LYONS

Marty Lyons was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 1979 NFL draft, following a successful career as an All-American defensive tackle at the University of Alabama, where he helped lead the team to a National Championship in 1978. Lyons played eleven memorable seasons with the Jets as a member of the famed “New York Sack Exchange,” one of the top defensive lines in NFL history. While still active as a player, he established The Marty Lyons Foundation to fulfill the special wishes of children diagnosed with a terminal or life-threatening illness. Since 1982, The Marty Lyons Foundation has brought much-needed joy to children and families nationwide, with 11 chapters granting wishes in 14 states. To date they have granted more than 8,200 wishes. www.martylyonsfoundation.org

2010 WARRICK DUNN

Warrick Dunn was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 NFL draft. He was named AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1997 and earned three Pro Bowl selections in his career. He played for the Atlanta Falcons from 2002 to 2007 between stints in Tampa Bay. After his NFL career, Dunn took a stake in the Falcons’ ownership group led by Arthur Blank and is a minority owner of the team. Warrick founded Homes for the Holidays (HFTH) in 1997 to honor his late mother’s dream of homeownership. The program partners with local community organizations to reduce the burden on new, single parent homeowners by fully furnishing their new house, providing down payment assistance checks, and stocking the pantry with food. Today, Warrick Dunn Charities has expanded from HFTH into four additional programs: Betty’s Hope, Count on Your Future, SCULPT, and Hearts for Community Service Scholarships. Together, the programs are dedicated to strengthening and transforming communities by combating poverty, hunger, and improving the quality of lives for families academically, socially, and economically. www.wdc.org

2009 MIA HAMM

Mia Hamm is widely regarded as one of the best female soccer players of all time. In 1987, at age fifteen, Hamm became the youngest woman to play with the U.S. National Team. She won two Olympic gold medals, an Olympic silver medal, two FIFA World Cups, and four NCAA National Championships with the University of North Carolina. She was a founding member of the Women’s United Soccer Association and led the Washington Freedom to the Founder’s Cup. Hamm has won numerous awards on and off the field, including ESPN’s ESPY Awards for Female Athlete of the Year and Soccer Player of the Year. Mia is a part owner of both LAFC and Angel City FC, a National Women’s Soccer League expansion team. Hamm established the Mia Hamm Foundation after her brother Garrett passed away due to complications of aplastic anemia. The foundation focuses on raising funds and awareness for families in need of marrow or cord blood transplants, and also expanding opportunities for young women in sports. Mia is a pioneer in her sport and a role model for athletes and fans who believe in equal opportunity, Title IX legislation, and the love of the game. www.miafoundation.org

Hockey legend Pat LaFontaine founded Companions in Courage in 1997. CiC raises funds to build interactive playrooms in hospitals throughout North America. Through innovative communication tools, these playrooms replace the isolation of a hospital with a connection to family, friends, and even celebrities. Companions in Courage believes that no child in the fight for life or health should ever have to go through it alone. The foundation aims to give courage, friendship, compassion, and support to children and families who are overcoming life-threatening illness, by providing a space to play and connect. CiC has also been selected by Microsoft to administer a program delivering mobile XBox 360 kiosks to patients bedsides throughout North America. Through the generosity of “companions,” innovative communications tools introduce technology to the healing process and improve the hospital experience for all patients by giving them “courage.” The Companions in Courage Foundation partners with some of the best and brightest technology firms to provide resources that benefit pediatric patients and their families. By introducing technology to the healing process, CiC impacts more than 50,000 pediatric patients per year. www.CiC16.org

2007 GEORGE MARTIN

George Martin anchored the New York Giants defense as a defensive end from 1975–88. He served as co-captain of the Giants Super Bowl championship team in 1986, and as president of the National Football League Players Association. Following his football career, Martin became a successful business executive. Martin lost several friends in the attacks of 9/11 and, in the aftermath, learned of the thousands of rescue and recovery workers suffering health-related illnesses resulting from their service at Ground Zero. In response he founded A Journey for 9/11, a nonprofit initiative to raise awareness and funds for their medical treatment. In September 2007 Martin began a charitable cross-country walk from New York City to San Diego, finishing on June 21, 2008. In total, Martin walked 3,003 miles through 13 states and Washington, D.C., wearing out 27 pairs of sneakers and 413 sets of socks, losing 41 pounds, and gaining countless friends and much support for his initiative. He raised the equivalent of several million dollars in funds and medical monitoring and treatment. Hackensack University Medical Center, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health Systems, and Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City matched the financial donations in medical services. Though Martin’s walk is over, his advocacy for the ailing heroes still continues.

2006 JOEY CHEEK

Joey Cheek, Olympic gold medalist and active philanthropist, was the first recipient of the Heisman Humanitarian Award. In 2006, after winning the Olympic gold medal in the men’s 500 speed skating, Cheek donated his $25,000 medal bonus to Right to Play, an international humanitarian organization that uses sports to empower children in underprivileged countries. Right To Play programs are implemented in 15 countries throughout the world, using sports to teach children about teamwork, fair play, conflict resolution, self-esteem, communication, commitment, respect, and integrity. Right To Play is committed to improving the lives of children and strengthening their communities by translating the best practices of sport and play into opportunities to promote development, health, and peace. “Elite sport is great, it’s a luxury,” Cheek says. “But play is a necessity. The lessons Right To Play teaches children, they’re necessary for us to have the world we want to live in.” Cheek also co-founded Team Darfur, with UCLA water polo player Brad Greiner. Team Darfur was an international coalition of athletes committed to raising awareness about the crisis in Darfur, Sudan, which attracted much attention leading up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.