On Friday Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Solomon Thomas was selected as the Week 12 NFL Players Association Community MVP.
The award, which is part of the union’s continued efforts to support year-round civic outreach among players, goes to Thomas after “holding an impactful mental health discussion with local Dallas students, bringing together teammates to package meals for the food insecure and serving as a pillar of strength for the Dallas Cowboys during a difficult time of tragedy,” according to a statement from the NFLPA.
After the death of Marshawn Kneeland by a self-inflicted gunshot just over two weeks ago, Thomas led a mental health conversation at South Oak Cliff, speaking with students on the importance of seeking help and understanding that “it’s OK to not be OK.”
Thomas has unfortunate experience with the subject of mental health, and not just with his teammate in Kneeland. Thomas lost his sister, Ella, to suicide in 2018.
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“Being named an NFLPA Community MVP is an honor,” Thomas said in a statement to the NFLPA. “The real motivation behind my work is my sister Ella, Marshawn, and every young person who’s struggling in silence. I carry her with me in everything I do, and I’m committed to using my platform to make sure families have the support, tools and community she and others deserve. This recognition fuels me to go even harder for the kids, parents, teachers and coaches who have earned a world where mental health is protected and valued.”
Thomas also presented a $10,000 donation to Dallas ISD Mental Health Services on behalf of the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Foundation and The Defensive Line, the nonprofit he co-founded with his parents in honor of his late sister.
Thomas spoke at a vigil honoring Kneeland, and two days later was one of five Cowboys who opened up to the media following the team’s first practice after Kneeland’s death.
Dallas Cowboys players talk about Kneeland’s death
“The only way I know how to get out of it, to move forward from a tragic situation like this, is to live for that person, take the amazing qualities that you learned from them, take the smiles and memories that you get from him, and apply them to your life every day,” Thomas told Cowboys reporters last week. “Live for that person. Talk to their spirit. Hold their spirit with you every day.”
Thomas is the second Cowboys player to be selected for the award this season after fellow defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa was selected in Week 2.
In recognition of Thomas being named NFLPA Community MVP for Week 12, the NFL Players Association will donate $10,000 to his nonprofit of choice. Along with the other Community MVPs from this season, he will also be eligible for the Alan Page Community Award, which is the NFLPA’s highest player honor and includes an additional $100,000 donation.
As part of a new supporting partnership with GoFundMe, fans can now also make a donation directly to The Defensive Line here.
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