stlouisrams.com

St. Louis Rams linebacker Chris Draft received the 2008 NFL Alumni Spirit Award during the NFL Alumni Player of the Year Awards Dinner prior to Super Bowl XLII. The NFL Alumni Spirit Award is presented annually to "an individual who has shown a commitment to community service" that is consistent with the NFL Alumni mission.

The NFL Alumni is a charitable organization composed primarily of former professional football players guided in their volunteer efforts by the motto “Caring for Kids.” The NFL Alumni's secondary objective is to help its own by offering support to former pros experiencing financial or medical hardship.

In receiving the NFL Alumni Spirit Award, Draft joins former recipients: Anthony Munoz, Dan Marino, Troy Aikman, Steve Young, Boomer Esiason, Nick Buoniconti, Deacon Jones, Drew Bledsoe and Warrick Dunn. The NFL Alumni Spirit Award will be presented by Frank W. Krauser, CEO and President of the NFL Alumni organization.

“It is an amazing honor to be singled out for the NFL Alumni Spirit Award, and an honor for me to be recognized on Friday at the Player of the Year Awards Dinner in the spirit of the NFL Alumni's mission, Caring for Kids,” said Draft. “The distinction serves to inspire me to be able to do much more.”

Player of the Year Awards will also be presented at the black-tie fundraising event. Each individual award will be presented by a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame who once played the position of the award winner, and the Coach of the Year award will be presented by the legendary Hall of Fame Coach Don Shula.

The complete list of current stars who will be awarded the honor of NFL Alumni Player of the Year are: Tom Brady (New England), Brian Westbrook (Philadelphia), Randy Moss (New England), Jason Witten (Dallas), Jeff Saturday (Indianapolis), Mario Williams (Houston), Jared Allen (Kansas City), Patrick Willis (San Francisco), Antonio Cromartie (San Diego), Devin Hester (Chicago) and Coach of the Year, Mike McCarthy (Green Bay).