While he was in high school, Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold was introduced to the Jessie Rees Foundation by his quarterback coach Jordan Palmer and ever since he's been in the league, that foundation has been the organization he's chose to support each season for the NFL's My Cause My Cleats initiative.
The initiative allows players to choose an organization to showcase through custom made cleats. Darnold's cleats feature blue writing with the acronym "NEGU" on one cleat and the Jesse Rees Foundation name on the other.
"It is the Jesse Rees Foundation," Darnold said. "You see it all the time as NEGU, it stands for Never, Ever Give Up. It's a foundation for children fighting cancer and they just try to spread joy for these kids that are fighting cancer. Doing everything that they can, they make these things called joy jars, which they deliver to the hospitals and there's a ton of cool little toys in there for kids to play with, coloring books, and all sorts of things. Then they do a lot of great things to help raise money for the cause as well. They are people I've been working with since high school and very happy to represent them as my cause."
Darnold said coach Palmer was "Highly involved in their foundation. There was a kid there, he was very little at the time, now he's grown up and he's bigger now, but his name is Cade Spinello. Super Cade is what they called him, or what they still call him. He's an incredible person and he really touched my heart with his story and how he battled, and how NEGU really helped him get through some really, really tough times battling cancer. It really hit home for me when I was in high school and I feel like I've developed a good relationship with the people there and a lot of the kids that NEGU tries to help throughout that whole process."
This is the eighth season that Darnold has supported the Jesse Rees Foundation, and he hopes to be able to do work with the organization in Seattle.
"Hopefully these next couple weeks, especially around the holidays we'll get to a hospital and try to impact some of the kiddos' lives," he said.
Players, coaches and staff members across the league will wear customized cleats in honor of causes that are important to them as part of 'My Cause My Cleats'. Check out the custom cleats that Seahawks players and staff will wear for this year's 'My Cause My Cleats' league-wide initiative.
Seahawks tackle Abraham Lucas (72) - Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Hilinski's Hope
Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) - Ronald McDonald House Seattle
Seahawks tackle Amari Kight (79) - Sisters Network Inc.
Seahawks guard Bryce Cabeldue (77) - Bridge of Promise
Seahawks tackle Charles Cross (67) - American Liver Foundation
Seahawks linebacker Chazz Surratt (44) - Head to Speech Inc.
Seahawks long snapper Chris Stoll (41) - THON
Seahawks guard Christian Haynes (64) - Big Brothers Big Sisters Puget Sound
Seahawks linebacker Connor O'Toole (57) - The Austin Denton Foundation
Seahawks wide receiver Dareke Young (83) - Lupus Foundation of America
Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (58) - Derick Hall One Percent Foundation
Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo (18) - Seattle Humane
Seahawks tight end Eric Saubert (81) - Freedom Service Dogs of America
Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) - Wings For Ewing Sarcoma
Seahawks center Federico Maranges (62) - El Centro De La Raza
Seahawks guard Grey Zabel (76) - Farm Rescue
Seahawks running back Jacardia Wright (31) - YouthCare Foundation
Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe (6) - Seattle Children's Hospital and National Breast Cancer Foundation
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) - JSN Family Foundation
Seahawks tackle Josh Jones (74) - Boys and Girls Club of America
Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe (29) - Seattle Children's Autism Center Different Not Less Foundation
Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) - Odessa Brown Children's Hospital
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) - Le Bonheur Children's Hospital
Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) - Water Mission
Seahawks offensive lineman Mason Richman (78) - Seattle Children's Hospital
Seahawks tight end Nick Kallerup (89) - Two Lights Foundation
Seahawks defensive tackle Rylie Mills (98) - Seattle Children's Hospital
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) - Jessie Rees Foundation
Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (7) - Uchenna Nwosu Foundation
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) - Williams Syndrome Association
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald - RYR-1 Foundation
Seahawks President of Football Operations/General Manager John Schneider - Ben's Fund
President of the Seattle Seahawks and First & Goal Inc. Chuck Arnold - American Cancer Society
Assistant Head Coach Leslie Frazier - American Diabetes Association
Seahawks Running Backs Coach Kennedy Polamalu - Polamalu Foundation
Seahawks Defensive Line Coach Justin Hinds - Colorectal Cancer Alliance
Offensive Assistant/Quarterbacks Coach Tyson Prince - American Cancer Society
Defensive Assistant/Defensive Backs Coach Neiko Thorpe - Alzheimer's Association
Offensive Assistant Michael Byrne - Star Legacy Foundation
Director of Personnel Development/Area Scout Lamar Campbell - American Stutter Foundation
Run Game Specialist/Assistant Offensive Line Coach Justin Outten - Autism Speaks
Offensive Passing Game Coordinator Jake Peetz - Focus
Assistant Special Teams Coach Devin Fitzsimmons - Pancreatic Cancer
Head Athletic Trainer David Stricklin - NATA Foundation/Homestead Heroes
Johnathan Rainey - Antioch Adoptions
Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Danny van Dijk - Kindering
Bill Nayes - Swedish Cancer Institute
Vice President of Community Engagements & Legends Mario Bailey - Everytown
Seahawks Top 50 Players - Impacting 50 Communities
Champions of Change
Seahawks Legend Walter Jones - Impacting 50 Communities
Seahawks Dancers - Broadview Women and Children's Shelter
