Jonathan Jones’ Auburn tailgate could lead to top honor
The five finalists for the 2023 NFL Players Association’s Alan Page Community Award include New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones.
A former Auburn standout, Jones just completed his seventh season with the Patriots.
The Alan Page Community Award is considered the NFLPA’s top honor. Presented annually, the award recognizes a player for community service in his team’s city and/or his hometown.
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NFL players will choose the winner of the award from the finalists, who also include Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, Washington Commanders offensive tackle Charles Leno Jr., Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller and Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White.
“Congratulations to Damar, Jonathan, Charles, Darren and Devin,” said Alan Page, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a former Minnesota Supreme Court justice. “As servant leaders, your work has exemplified the spirit behind the award. By helping families in need, fighting homelessness and poverty and by raising awareness for economic justice, you have changed the future, making it brighter and better than what it might have been.”
Jones earned the NFLPA Community MVP honor for Week 12 of the 2022 NFL season. During New England’s bye week in November, Jones, in partnership with Auburn Sustenance, held a tailgate before Auburn’s SEC game against Texas A&M that raised enough funds to feed 450 local families with meals and snacks on the days that Auburn City Schools are closed for the holidays.
The two-time Super Bowl champion also hosted a campus visit for a group of 10 football recruits, covering travel, lodging and meals. The prospects came from smaller schools and heard from Jones about his journey from undrafted rookie to NFL veteran.
Jones closed the week in Boston, where he provided an early Thanksgiving dinner for 250 children at the Blue Hills Boys and Girls Club, distributed turkeys and frozen meals to 100 more community members and served as quarterback for the club’s Turkey Classic flag-football game.
The winner of the Alan Page Community Award will be announced on Feb. 8 during the NFLPA’s annual Super Bowl press conference. The winner will receive a $100,000 donation to his foundation or the charity of his choice.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.