Broncos’ Purcell Shows Passion for Wounded Warrior Project Through #MyCauseMyCleats
DENVER (Dec. 16, 2020) — In so many ways, this year has been different for Michael Purcell, especially when a foot injury in October sidelined the Denver Broncos defensive tackle for the rest of the season. But while the impact of his tackles isn’t being felt on the field, he’s making an impact off of it. For the second consecutive year, Michael supported injured veterans and their families by featuring the Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) logo on his cleats as part of the NFL’s My Cause, My Cleats campaign.
Want to help Michael support WWP? His cleats are being auctioned until 3 pm ET on Dec. 18. One hundred percent of the auction price will support injured veterans through WWP and Michael will match the winning bid and donate it to WWP as well.
Michael, a Denver native, took his support to the next level this year by displaying several Colorado warriors’ names on his cleats. He surprised those warriors by showing them the cleats on a video conference call recently.
“It's a way for me to put you guys in the spotlight and to make you guys known,” Michael told the warriors. “We’re the ones sitting in the spotlight, and every aspect of our lives gets talked about. But it’s nothing compared to what you guys do and the sacrifices that you’ve made.”
Army veteran Anthony Martinez was one of the warriors on the call; his name is in gold on the toe of Michael’s left cleat.
“I’ve worn a lot of NFL players’ names on the back of my jerseys, and I’ve never had an NFL player wear my name,” Anthony told Michael. “From the bottom of my heart, that means a lot.”
Fellow Army veteran Kyle Welch agreed; his name is just behind Anthony’s on that left cleat.
“This is something that helps restore faith in mankind,” Kyle said. “I’m extremely grateful that I can be a part of something that’s a demonstration of how good we are as people.”
Michael is one of several players across the league who have chosen to support WWP through My Cause, My Cleats this year. Among the others are:
- Derrick Brown — Carolina Panthers
- Tyler Davis — Jacksonville Jaguars
- K.C. McDermott — Jacksonville Jaguars
- Jason Sanders — Miami Dolphins
- Johnathan Hankins — Oakland Raiders
- John Molchon — Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Discover more ways you can give back to injured veterans and their families.
Contact: Chris Obarski — Public Relations, cobarski@woundedwarriorproject.org, 904.570.0823
About Wounded Warrior Project
Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers — helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more.