PAF 2020 In Review

Users must adjust to new normal

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2020 MARKED THE PAF’S 30TH YEAR.

Asking for help is not easy but the PAF has answered the call for former NFL players since 1990. Over the years, we have strived to welcome our players and their families to a seat at the PAF table, form the relationships necessary to help them prosper in their health and education, and show members we are and will continue to be there for them during all points of their lives as NFLPA Former Player members.

REMEMBER ACTION CREATES OPPORTUNITY

ABOUT GENE UPSHAW 1945 - 2008

Gene Upshaw’s activism as a player and union leader are unmatched. The 1967 first-round draft pick built a legendary legacy, winning two Super Bowls as a standout offensive lineman for the Oakland Raiders and getting elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.

Off the field, Upshaw served in every player union role, from alternate player rep with the Raiders to the NFLPA’s president until his retirement from football in 1983. Immediately thereafter, Upshaw was selected executive director of the NFLPA.

Upshaw recognized that the transition from football was very challenging for former players and in 1990, the Professional Athletes Foundation was founded. The PAF has since grown into the leading charitable foundation assisting former NFL players and the communities in which they serve.

There is no PAF, without Gene’s influence.

During his 25 years as Executive Director, Upshaw led the NFLPA to many “firsts,” including a 401(k) program, a player annuity plan, health reimbursement accounts for vested players, a league-wide incentive pay system known as “performance-based pay,” creation of free agency, and the “88 plan” (in honor of John Mackey) to provide monetary benefits to former players who, like Mackey, suffered from neurological disorders, among others.

Following a brief, difficult battle with pancreatic cancer, Upshaw passed away in August 2008, but his legacy lives on as a groundbreaking pioneer for the NFLPA and its members.

about the PAF

The Professional Athletes Foundation (PAF) is a non-profit organization that works to support, inspire, and strengthen former NFL players and their families in unique and meaningful ways. We believe that by providing compassion and guidance, former players can and will remain leaders long after their playing careers are over.

It is our mission to aid our NFLPA members in their post football success through a range of health, financial, and educational resources and wellness events which more than 4,500 players have explored since 1990. We strive to offer opportunities that empower players to take control of their well-being, bring together families from all walks of life to learn new perspectives, and provide financial assistance during some of life’s most difficult challenges.

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ACTION CREATES OPPORTUNITY...

FOR former players facing challenges

GUPAT HARDSHIP GRANT

*Includes care notes, repairs, & auto insurance

**Includes utilities, child support, funerals, etc.

296 PLAYERS ASSISTED

HEARING HEALTH AND SLEEP PROGRAM

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Though our traveling health and heart screenings in partnership with Living Heart Foundation had to be suspended in 2020, we were able to connect players with our partners to obtain the care they needed:

• 30 players went through our Sleep Program. $33,639 players did not to pay out of pocket for this life saving testing and equipment.

• 15 players’ quality of life was enhanced through our Hearing Aid Program with EarQ. When insurance wouldn’t cover, the PAF stepped in with $69,284 for these players.

$1,258,839.42 in short-term financial hardship assistance

our COVID-19 response

March 12, 2020 @ 9:41 AM ET the NFLPA headquarters closed effective immediately due to the rapidly growing threat of COVID-19. The Professional Athletes Foundation remained open & at the front line for our players.

2020 WASN’T CANCELLED.

During March 16-July 31, 2020 while the country was facing a devastating global pandemic and a social justice awakening, the PAF staff fielded more than 1,500 calls and sent 170+ hardship assistance application to members facing challenges with their household responsibilities, physical and mental health.

Dear Fellow Former Players & Friends,

These are difficult times, as we are faced with many unknowns about the coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on how we live our lives.

As the virus continues to spread, please take extreme precautions and follow your home state’s orders and recommendations to ensure that you and your loved ones are safe and protected.

Please utilize resources from the following organizations as they provide up-to-date information:

• FEMA

• FIND YOUR LOCAL UNITED WAY

• 211: Guidance on Local Resources –can connect you to food sources, bill assistance, & more.

The Professional Athletes Foundation (PAF) is open and continues to monitor this public health emergency. We are readied to help with problems as they arise and are prepared to act for our players and their families, as needed.

For more information on the PAF please contact us:

P: (800) 372-2000

professionalathletesfoundation@nflpa.comyourpaf.com | @yourPAF

Sincerely,

Users must adjust to new normal

Andre Collins Executive Director Professional Athletes Foundation NFL Player 1990-1999

ACTION CREATES OPPORTUNITY...

FOR former players and their families

Family Scholarship

$72,500.00 TOTAL: In its 4th year, the PAF awarded $2,500 one-time scholarships to 28 children of former players

Passport to Wellness

The PAF quickly restructured to reflect the needs of the time so players and spouses could join in for virtual sessions on Using Social Distancing to Grow, Stress Management, Instagram Live Yoga, Men’s Health Chats, and Ask Dr. Roberts.

Dale Moss, Former Player

Greg Camarillo, Former Player

FOR former players + their families

VIRTUAL WELLNESS RETREAT

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In previous years, the PAF has hosted their wellness retreats in Santa Barbara, CA, New Orleans, and New York City but with the need to switch to virtual our 2020 Virtual Wellness Retreat hit new limits. This 3-day event covered new topics of wellness to impact not only the player but also his spouse. day 1:

Live Welcome with two-time Super Bowl Champion, Torrey Smith, and Executive Director, Andre Collins day 2:

Balance & Flow Yoga | Meditation | Baby Blues: A conversation on Postpartum Depression | Addictions Outside of Substances w/ EPIC Risk

Management | Understanding Grief & Disappointment | Mythbusters: Men Don’t Need Therapy day 3:

Beginner Yoga | Self-Affirmation Workshop | A Meeting in the Ladies Only Room | Power of Connection: Couples Session | Family Meeting 101

Torrey Smith, 2x Super Bowl Champion & Former Player

We always secretly build our programs with both current and former players in mind. Creating a culture of wellness benefits all of us. Introducing alternatives to wellness practice like yoga, meditation, journaling, self-evaluating can be beneficial for all of us.

446 in total player & spouse session attendance

7 former nfl players worked with the paf to host varying wellness sessions

ANDRE COLLINS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NFLPA PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES FOUNDATION

DJ Townsell, Former Player turned Yogi

ACTION CREATES OPPORTUNITY...

FOR former players + their communities

Former Player Chapter Scholarship

$144,835.00 TOTAL: The NFLPA Former Player Chapters identified & awarded 91 high school students in their chapter communities.

CHARITABLE GIVING

Andre Collins with The Motivational Edge founder, Ian Welsch. The PAF provided a $15,000 donation to this Miami based solutions focused 501(c)(3) youth development organization that leverages culturally relevant arts and other platforms to engage, educate and empower young lives. Since 2018, the PAF has contributed $30,000 to their growth.

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Painting with the Pros

In 2017, the PAF created an opportunity for former and active professional athletes across the major leagues to engage with the community’s youth through art.

Mentorship, Creativity, Self-Expression. This is #PaintingWiththePros

Painting with the Pros in the Super Bowl Host City

• 36 Miami Central Senior High School students

• 19 Former and Active NFL players

• 1 Celebrity guest artist

» Katrina “Kat Tat” Jackson

FOR former players + their communities

15th Annual Smocks and Jocks event

Smocks & Jocks: celebrating the artist talents of active and former NFL players since 2005.

On February 1, we celebrated the 15th anniversary of the PAF’s premiere fundraising event in Miami, Florida the Saturday before the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl LIV.

In 2020, the PAF acknowledged event sponsors, EarQ and the Hearstrong Foundation, by honoring a young individual in his efforts in raising awareness around hearing loss, a condition that effects thousands of former NFL players and a pillar of the PAF’s GUPAT grant assistance program.

_THANK YOU AGAIN TO OUR SPONSORS!

$11,075 RAISED IN ART SALES

32 TOTAL PIECES SHOWN

16 TOTAL PIECES SOLD

2020 EXPANSIONS

This is the first program that the NFLPA/PAF has ever run on problem gambling education and awareness. As the first major professional sports league in the US to undertake this project, we’re proud to tackle this issue head-on. We urge all sports leagues to address problem gambling with the seriousness it deserves.”

ANDRE COLLINS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NFLPA PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES FOUNDATION

Launch of the PAF’s Literature League

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#AthleteAnd Author, Sam Acho, helped launch our exclusive former player only book club as he published his first book, Let the World SeeYou in October of 2020.

New Partnership: EPIC RISK MANAGEMENT

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Athletes are at least 5x more likely to become problem gamblers than the wider population*. With the legalization of sports betting in parts of the US, the PAF recognized this need and joined forces with EPIC Risk Management, whose mission is to take the problem out of gambling and to save lives through harm prevention programs, strategic advisory, and training.

*Global research, EPIC Risk Management

Revamp: Biggest Comeback 3v3

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Revitalized in 2020, this 3 on 3 team-based weight loss competition was completed by select, dedicated former players in Kansas City and San Francisco. With the one-on-one guidance from Living Heart Foundation, these men shed a total of 177 lbs in 6 months.

-27 LBS

STEVE SEMINOFF

-49 LBS BOB GOLTRA

-25 LBS

MATT TOEAINA

-35 LBS

ANTHONY SIMMONS

-21 LBS

CARLOS CARSON

-20 LBS

LARRY TRIPPLETT

our team and board

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

DEMAURICE SMITH, CHAIRMAN

NOLAN HARRISON, ACTING CHAIRMAN FORMER PLAYER

MAXINE BAKER, DIRECTOR

ANDRE COLLINS, DIRECTOR FORMER PLAYER

NED EHRLICH, DIRECTOR

KEN JOLLY, DIRECTOR FORMER PLAYER

DAVID M. JOYNER, MD, DIRECTOR

PETE KENDALL, DIRECTOR FORMER PLAYER

DEWEY MCCLAIN, DIRECTOR FORMER PLAYER

EMERY MOOREHEAD, DIRECTOR FORMER PLAYER

CHARLES SWISHER, DIRECTOR

DR. YVETTE STEWART, DIRECTOR

ANDRE COLLINS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

PAF Staff

TYRONE ALLEN, DIRECTOR

PAF Staff

CARYL BANKS, MANAGER

PAF Staff

LESLIE ISLER, MANAGER

PAF Staff

LAURA STEFANOW COORDINATOR

PAF Staff