New England Patriots

Here’s a look at the cleats the Patriots will be wearing for ‘My Cause, My Cleats’

By Nicole Yang

5 minutes to read

James White will be taking his nickname “Sweet Feet” to a whole new level this Sunday. White — along with several of his teammates — will be partaking in the NFL’s second annual “My Cause, My Cleats” initiative, which allows players to don a pair of customized cleats in honor of a charitable cause.

Approximately 500 players participated last season — showing their support for a number of organizations while taking advantage of the opportunity to break the league’s traditionally rigid uniform policy — and an even bigger turnout is expected this year. According to Sports Illustrated‘s Monday Morning Quarterback, over 1,000 players expressed interest in the campaign during preseason.

Advertisement:

White will be wearing cleats designed by artist Jeff Rose to support Best Buddies. The Patriots running back wrote on Instagram that he’s “built a lot of great friendships and have met a lot of great people” through working with the nonprofit. Founded in 1989 at Georgetown, Best Buddies’ mission is to enhance the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“I think people with developmental disabilities deserve to be more included in our society,” White told the NFL. “I want to help those with a disability get jobs and be able to provide for themselves.”

Here’s a look at some of the other causes and cleats that will be taking the field via the Patriots this Sunday:

Tom Brady

Brady, another ardent supporter of Best Buddies, will be supporting number of causes with his Under Armour cleats. Among them are the Ellie Fund, a Needham-based program that provides services to families coping with breast cancer, and the Greater Boston Food Bank, a hunger-relief organization that distributes food to those in need.

Alan Branch

Branch will be raising awareness for Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE). One of his four children suffers from “severe life-threatening allergies,” and the defensive tackle credits FARE with helping his family manage it accordingly.

Rex Burkhead

Burkhead will be wearing cleats — designed by Joe V Design — to support the Team Jack Foundation, which funds research for pediatric brain cancer.

Advertisement:

Burkhead’s support of the foundation dates back to his time at the University of Nebraska. During his college years, the running back formed a close relationship with Jack Hoffman — a young boy diagnosed with brain cancer who has always looked up to the Big Ten standout. The pair initially met in Lincoln but continued to stay in touch when Burkhead advanced to the NFL.

Burkhead currently sits on the board of directors for Team Jack and still wears the “Team Jack Pray” bracelet from their first meeting.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcDkcghjFAB/?hl=en&taken-by=rbrex2022

Lawrence Guy

Guy will be supporting Vegas Strong to raise awareness for the victims of the recent Las Vegas shooting, as well as “Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep,” which raises awareness for pregnancy and infant loss.

Dont’a Hightower

Hightower will not be playing on Sunday due to his season-ending pectoral injury, but the linebacker shared a picture of his cleats decorated for the American Diabetes Association. The 27-year-old said he got involved with the nonprofit because his mother and several aunts have diabetes.

https://twitter.com/zeus30hightower/status/935566227916886026

Brian Hoyer

Hoyer will be honoring the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA), which promotes a cause he felt was underrepresented last season.

Advertisement:

“I have always been passionate about being against animal cruelty,” Hoyer told Patriots.com’s Angelique Fiske. “Animals don’t really have a choice. They’re these helpless things that most people take really good care of, but a lot of people don’t. To be able to speak out for them when they don’t really have a voice was the main thought. When I see my two dogs, I can’t imagine that someone would ever want to hurt a dog or any animal for that matter.”

Devin McCourty

McCourty will supporting the Embrace Kids Foundation, which works to improve the lives of those facing various health challenges, including sickle cell anemia. The safety has been involved with the New Jersey-based organization since his time at Rutgers, as its mission holds a near and dear place in his heart.

“Sickle cell disease affected us at a young age because my father carried the trait. I remember we took blood test at five years old to see if we carried the trait as well. and it was a relief when we learned we didn’t,” McCourty said. “That didn’t end the journey with sickle cell because both our aunt and uncle had the disease.”

Nate Solder

Solder will be wearing cleats to support the Jimmy Fund Clinic and the Joe Andruzzi Foundation. Andurzzi, a former New England Patriot, started his foundation in 2008 to offer financial assistance to cancer patients and families. The offensive guard’s career was cut short after a non-Hodgkins Burkitt’s lymphoma diagnosis.

Advertisement:

Solder’s cleats feature a sketch of his two-year-old son Hudson, who was diagnosed with a form of kidney cancer called bilateral Wilms tumors in October 2015. After a year of chemotherapy, doctors said that he no longer required treatment, just monitoring. But the tumors starting growing again in September, which meant Hudson would be returning to Brookline’s Dana Farber’s Jimmy Fund Clinic for treatments.

“I want to show some love to families going through a tough time because I have a child going through the same thing,” Solder told the NFL.

Kyle Van Noy

Van Noy will be supporting the Van Noy Valor Foundation, which looks to empower the lives of adopted children, those in foster care, and disadvantaged youth.

“My wife and I started the Van Noy Valor Foundation because of our connection to adoption,” the outside linebacker told the NFL. “I was adopted and my wife has two adopted members in her family.

Rob Gronkowski

Gronk revealed on Uninterrupted that he would not be wearing special cleats on Sunday due to the fact that he “forgot to fill out the paperwork.” If he were participating, however, the tight end said that he would be supporting the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation, which looks to provide kids the necessary tools to maximize their potential in sports.

Other Patriots that will have decked-out cleats on Sunday include: David Andrews (Warrior Dog Foundation), Duron Harmon (Autism Speaks), Chris Hogan (HEADstrong Foundation), and LaAdrian Waddle (American Cancer Society).