JACKSONVILLE, Fla. –The Jacksonville Jaguars have nominated 10th-year DE and two-time Pro Bowl selection Calais Campbellfor the 2018 Bart Starr Award, the club announced today. The Bart Starr Award is given annually to a current NFL player who displays outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community.
Campbell, who ranks third in the NFL with 6.0 sacks this season, broke the franchise record with 4.0 sacks in his Jaguars debut in Week 1 at Houston. Campbell has registered at least 5.0 sacks in nine consecutive seasons, in addition to totaling more than 150 career appearances in the NFL (143 regular season, nine postseason). Off the field, he continues to enrich the lives of others through his community outreach efforts with his Charles Richard Campbell Foundation.
In 2010, Campbell and his family founded the CRC Foundation, named after his late father, Charles. The foundation is committed to the enhancement of the community by teaching life skills to young people to assist in their development. Through sports and the enrichment of creative talents, vocational skills, financial knowledge and quality health and nutrition, the foundation seeks to empower and provide self-awareness for future leaders. The CRC Foundation and Campbell have hosted a variety of events over the years and are dedicated to giving back.
Campbell has a long history of philanthropic work at the NFL level, and was a two-time Cardinals Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year selection in 2011 and 2014. Earlier this year, Campbell announced plans to continue the Calais' Cheer for a Cause Program as he transitions to Jacksonville. Entering its fourth year of giving back, the program randomly selects a fan wearing a Calais Campbell jersey or shirt at every home game and makes a donation to a charity of their choice. Total donations will be tied to Campbell's on-field performance and sack total.
"I want to support the fans that support me, and empower them to give back to the community where it is important to them," said Campbell. "Together, we can make a difference, every game."
Another staple of the CRC Foundation is the CRC Afterschool Program that provides evening enrichment for Phoenix-area students age 5-13. In addition to tutoring, the program provides activities that help build strong life skills, including conflict resolution and emotional balance. Other focus areas include financial literacy, college preparation, career education, self-esteem and leadership. In 2013, Campbell launched Right Track, a daily after-school program serving students from the Roosevelt School District in south Phoenix. In partnership with the Black Family and Child Service Center, Right Track provides students ages 5-14 with tutoring, mentoring and proper nutrition.
Campbell and the CRC Foundation have extended their existing philanthropic programs to include a Thanksgiving turkey drive for 300 families and support for local youth football programs. In December 2015, Campbell hosted his sixth annual Christmas with Calais event, an evening that treats 60 children from UMOM New Day Center and his Right Track program to a shopping spree at Target with Campbell and his teammates, a holiday meal and a visit from Santa. In addition, Campbell twice represented the Cardinals as part of the NFL's "Play 60" movement at the White House for the 136th and 137th Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn that was hosted by former First Lady Michelle Obama.
