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“Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.”— Former UCLA football coach Henry “Red” Sanders

That quote originated with Sanders but is attributed widely to legendary National Football League (NFL) Green Bay Packers’ coach Vince Lombardi. After criticism, Lombardi regretted the comment and offered to repudiate it.

Today, following precedent, NFL players—from the east coast to the west coast—are winners for sideline efforts.

Pro Bowl player Donovan McNabb starred for Syracuse University at quarterback and now for the Philadelphia Eagles. His achievements off the field satisfy him most. Through the Donovan McNabb Foundation (DMF), his primary focus is to raise awareness and prevent diabetes and its possible amputations and blindness.

Diabetes affects his father Samuel, among other family members, so Donovan is a national spokesperson for the American Diabetes Association. He was named to USA Weekend magazine’s Most Caring Athletes list recently.

Tools they need
Just 90 miles north, New York Jets linebacker Brian Thomas donates time to Computers for Youth, a nonprofit organization that partners with public middle schools in low-income areas to provide special needs kids and others and their families with a free computer, educational software, and free Internet access. Thomas asserts, “Learning doesn’t stop once kids are let out of school in the afternoons. A healthy home learning environment has a great impact on a kid’s academic successes, and computers are a critical part of that setting.”

Thomas sees athletes as role models. “That should never be taken lightly. The dedication, diligence, selflessness, and intelligence required to be a professional athlete are admirable qualities, and it’s important to let those behaviors shine. Kids are impressionable, and athletes need to be aware and respectful of that.”

On the opposite coast, Shawne Merriman of the San Diego Chargers hosts a community-supported bowling event to benefit victims of the San Diego fires, including the disabled.

Free wheelies
The shores of Huntington Beach, Calif., will field the Surf City USA® Marathon on Super Bowl Sunday. It’s a partnership with the Free Wheelchair Mission and a goal to catch enough funding to provide 12,000 free wheelchairs to the disabled in undeveloped countries. Former NFL quarterback Jay Schroeder will run in the event and be the keynote speaker for a fund-raising dinner.

Then, there’s Doug Flutie, who was prominent at Boston College and won the 1984 Heisman Trophy. Quarterback Flutie lacked height, at 5'10", but not heart—taking the field against autism. The retired New England Patriots quarterback set up the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism to honor son, Doug Jr.

Like Dan Marino and Doug Flutie on autism, NFL television analyst Boomer Esiason is active in embracing his son Gunnar's disability. Gunnar was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) in 1993; soon after that, Esiason created a foundation to fight CF. He has raised more than $25 million to help further research and raise advocacy about the life-shortening genetic condition. Now Gunnar plays quarterback for his school's football team.

Look for the bus
Let’s not forget John Madden. The former NFL player, head coach of the Oakland Raiders, and broadcast analyst for NFL games is “in the game” and above it. He teamed with Outback Steakhouse to set a $1 million fund-raising goal for a campaign centered on the Outback Steakhouse Madden Cruiser. The bus carries the flight-wary NBC-TV football analyst to NFL games throughout the season.

The Outback Steakhouse Madden Miles campaign will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Outback Steakhouse kicked off the "Drive to a Million" campaign by guaranteeing $200,000, based upon a $10 donation for the estimated 20,000 miles the vehicle traveled from one NFL stadium to the next.

In his wheelchair in Jacksonville, FL, Herb Drill heads Able Me & Associates. His e-mail address is herbdrill@ableme.com. He has Muscular Dystrophy.