Latest Press Releases

Last Updated 01/04/2019

• Team Draft Sends Super Bowl Challenge Winners to Super Bowl 53, Pro-Bowl and Taste of the NFL to Raise Lung Cancer Awareness and Research Dollars (ATLANTA, GA) – Team Draft is sending lung cancer survivor-advocates to the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl and Taste of the NFL. These survivor-advocates are all winners of Team Draft’s fifth annual Lung Cancer Survivors Super Bowl Challenge—a unique fund raising challenge designed to give lung cancer survivors the opportunity to compete against one another to raise funds for public awareness and cutting-edge research that is giving new hope to those battling this often misunderstood disease. Participating survivors who raise more than $5,000 during the Super Bowl Challenge may commit 80% of the funds they raised to a lung cancer organization or cancer center of their choice. While the Challenge is over, the fundraising continues through Super Bowl Sunday.<download>
• Team Draft Kicks off 5th Annual Super Bowl Challenge on November 1st to Raise Lung Cancer Awareness and Research Dollars Atlanta, GA. November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and Team Draft will kick off it’s fifth annual Lung Cancer Survivors Super Bowl Challenge on November 1, 2018. This unique fund raising challenge gives lung cancer survivors the opportunity to raise funds for public awareness and cutting-edge research that is giving new hope to those battling this often misunderstood disease.<download>
• Team Draft Sends Super Bowl Challenge Winners to Super Bowl, Pro-Bowl and Taste of the NFL to Raise Lung Cancer Awareness Phoenix, AZ. The winners of the inaugural Super Bowl Challenge will enjoy trips to the Super Bowl, the NFL Pro-Bowl and the Taste of the NFL this month as part of Team Draft’s National Campaign to Change the Face of Lung Cancer <download>
• Team Draft Kicks Off Lung Cancer Awareness Month in Titletown With the Green Bay Packers (GREEN BAY, WIS.) – November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and Team Draft is kicking it off with the Green Bay Packers as they take on their long-time rivals the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football tonight. In partnership with Bellin Health—the Packers’ official healthcare provider—Team Draft arranged to have the game designated by the Packers as an official lung cancer awareness game. <download>
• Asthma Advocate, Chris Draft launches National Public Service Announcement in partnership with the EPA The Foundation's Asthma Team will join Mothers & Others for Clean Air at Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School.<download>
• DEPLOYED TROOPS GREET EX-NFL STARS FOR FOURTH OF JULY WEEK CELEBRATIONS Ex-NFL standouts Chris Draft, Donnie Edwards and Eric Metcalf have joined legendary front-office executive Bill Polian to visit troops stationed in the Middle East as part of a week long USO Entertainment tour.<download>
• Atlanta Hawks To Honor Team Draft Co-Founder Chris Draft With Be Greater Atlanta Award During Nationally Televised Game (ATLANTA, GA) – On Wednesday, April 3, 2013, nearly twenty lung cancer survivors, support teams, and doctors will be on hand when the Atlanta Hawks honor Team Draft co-founder and former NFL linebacker, Chris Draft, with the Be Greater Atlanta Award. The award recognizes individuals throughout Metro Atlanta who are making a difference in their communities and will be presented to Draft during the Hawks game against the New York Knicks—a game which will be televised nationally on ESPN—in recognition of Team Draft’s national lung cancer awareness efforts. <download>
• Former Forty-Niner Tackles Lung Cancer At The Super Bowl; Debuts New Public Awareness Video (NEW ORLEANS, LA) – This week, Team Draft co-founder and former San Francisco Forty-Niners linebacker, Chris Draft, is bringing Team Draft’s National Campaign to Change the Face of Lung Cancer to New Orleans. <download>
• Former Falcon Helps 15-Year-Old Lung Cancer Survivor Celebrate Another Birthday With Trip To NFC Championship Game (ATLANTA, GA) – On January 8, 2012, Abby Wilson celebrated her 15th birthday. While birthdays are special to all of us, they are uniquely important to Abby who was been battling a rare form of pediatric lung cancer since she was 9 years old. This year, Team Draft co-founder and former Falcons linebacker, Chris Draft, is helping Abby celebrate by taking her and her parents to the NFC Championship Game between the Falcons and the San Francisco 49ers at the Georgia Dome this Sunday. The event is part of Team Draft’s Survivor at Every Stadium initiative. <download>
• Team Draft to Kickoff National Lung Cancer Screening Event for Veterans at Walter Reed In honor of Veterans Day weekend, Team Draft, in partnership with Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) and Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), is joining with Walter Reed National Medical Center and select lung cancer screening centers across the country to offer lung cancer screenings to veterans. <download>
• Team Draft Installs First Lung Cancer Plate In The Country: In Georgia, Lung Cancer Matters Atlanta, GA (September 29, 2012) – This week, the State of Georgia made history when it became the first state in the nation to issue lung cancer-specific license plates . . . and Team Draft was there. On Tuesday, September 25th, Team Draft co-founder and former Atlanta Falcon, Chris Draft, installed the first lung cancer plate on Jackie Archer’s car—a poignant moment for both Chris and Jackie. Late last year, Chris lost his wife, Keasha, to lung cancer, and through the Chris Draft Family Foundation’s Team Draft initiative, he is leading a National Campaign to Change the Face of Lung Cancer. Archer, a lung cancer survivor, was the driving force behind the plates. On April 16th, Draft and Archer stood next to Georgia Governor Nathan Deal as he signed HB 732 into law, authorizing the plates. <download>
• Former Bill Brings National Lung Cancer Awareness Campaign To Buffalo Buffalo, New York (June 21, 2012) – This week, former Buffalo Bills linebacker, Chris Draft, will return to Buffalo as part of Team Draft’s national campaign to change the face of lung cancer, the disease that claimed the life of Draft’s late wife, Keasha, last December.<download>
• Former 49er Brings National Lung Cancer Awareness Campaign Back To Northern California San Francisco (June 11, 2012) – This week, former San Francisco 49ers linebacker and Stanford Football alumni, Chris Draft, will return to the Bay Area, were he spent his college and part of his NFL career, as part of his Team Draft’s National Campaign to Change the Face of Lung Cancer, the disease that claimed the life of Draft’s late wife, Keasha, last December. <download>
• Former Bear Brings National Lung Cancer Awareness Campaign Back To Chicago Chicago (June 3, 2012) – On Sunday, former Chicago Bear’s linebacker, Chris Draft, will return to Chicago as part of Team Draft’s national campaign to change the face of lung cancer, the disease that claimed the life of Draft’s late wife, Keasha, last December. <download>
• CHARLOTTE JOINS NATIONAL MOVEMENT TO DEFEAT LUNG CANCER The North Carolina Lung Cancer Partnership announces the Inaugural Free to Breathe® 5K & 1 mile Run/Walk & Rally in Charlotte. The event will take place on Saturday, May 19 at Park Road Park. Runners and walkers will raise funds for the Partnership. Lung cancer survivors may also register to be honored at the Rally, which begins at 8 a.m.<download>
• Team Draft and the National Lung Cancer Partnership Team Up to Tackle Lung Cancer Team Draft and the National Lung Cancer Partnership (the Partnership) are joining forces to bring much needed attention and critical resources to lung cancer. The disease takes the lives of more than 150,000 people in the U.S. each year, and claimed the life of Keasha Draft, wife of former NFL linebacker, Chris Draft, in late 2011. <download>
• Team Draft: Veteran Linebacker Challenges NFL Players, Fans to Join Fight to Tackle Lung Cancer In partnership with the NFL Players, Inc.-affiliated School of the Legends, Draft today issued an unprecedented challenge to all current and former NFL players to join Team Draft in its fight to tackle cancer by changing the face of lung cancer, the disease that claimed the life of Chris’ late wife, Keasha, just over two months ago. <download>
• Former NFL Linebacker Chris Draft Launches “Changing the Face of Lung Cancer” through the Team Draft Initiative, during ESPN’s XLVI Super Bowl Coverage The Team Draft initiative is a campaign to “Change the face of Lung Cancer” by raising awareness of lung cancer through prevention and research. Team Draft was created by former NFL linebacker Chris Draft and the late Keasha Rutledge Draft.<download>
• Youth Sports Safety Summit & Media Briefing in Washington, DC Young athletes are losing their lives on the playing field: 50 in 2010; 40 to date in 2011; and seven individuals, including one adult coach, this past August. They are suffering chronic and sometimes catastrophic injury from sports. Founder Chris Draft, who lives with asthma, will share his experience as a college athlete and NFL football player.<download>
• NFL Ambassador and National Literacy Advocate closes out Summer Reading Initiative and Let's Move campaign strong in our Nation's Capitol Leading the national movement around the county with numerous summer literacy and physical activity events, NFL Ambassador, Chris Draft culminated his important initiative during two major events in Washington, DC<download>
• NFL Ambassador and Former Carolina Panther Chris Draft to host Let's Read, Let's Move Event On Friday, September 2, third-grade students at River Oaks Academy will kick off the "Let's Read. Let's Move" program with Chris Draft. <download>
• NFL Ambassador Chris Draft Visits New York City Youth The Madison Square Boys & Girls Club’s Joel E. Smilow Clubhouse in the Bronx, the Variety Boys & Girls Club in Queens, and the Thomas S. Murphy Clubhouse in Brooklyn will host NFL Ambassador Chris Draft this week.<download>
• NFL Veteran Chris Draft Visits Chicago Public Library Veteran NFL player (and former Chicago Bear) Chris Draft visited the Chicago Public Library’s Richard M. Daley Branch at 733 N. Kedzie Ave. today, to read books and talk to 6th, 7th & 8th graders from the Morton School of Excellence. <download>
• NFL Player Chris Draft to Host Let’s Read. Let’s Move. Events Former Washington Redskin and education proponent Chris Draft will be in Washington. D.C. to host a series of events on Wednesday, July 20 to engage local students in an effort to combat childhood obesity and summer reading loss through the United We Serve’s Let’s Read. Let’s Move. summer initiative.<download>
• NFL Week 17: Players Come Together to Share Their Stories The American Lung Association and the Chris Draft Family Foundation (CDFF) have recognized families that are tackling asthma by sharing the stories of their battles. Now, professional football players have joined the cause to become captains of the Chris Draft Family Foundation’s Asthma Team™.<download>
• Draft Family Fitness Day Returns to Atlanta June 20 In collaboration with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, Linebacker Chris Draft is bringing the Chris Draft Family Foundation’s signature event, Draft Family Fitness Day, back to the NFL Youth Education Town Boys and Girls Club in Atlanta on June 20.<download>
• Rams Linebacker Chris Draft Will Thank Scott Air Force Base To show his appreciation for the troops’ military service, Rams linebacker Chris Draft, along with new offensive lineman Jason Brown, will escort the Rams rookies to Scott Air Force Base at 2:00 p.m. on June 18, where they will receive a tour of the facility and host a football clinic for nearly 300 youngsters affiliated with the base.<download>
• Chris Draft Family Foundation Hosts Annual Draft Family Fitness Day Saturday, May 9 Rams linebacker Chris Draft and the Chris Draft Family Foundation will host the foundation’s signature event, Draft Family Fitness Day, or “Draft Day®” for short, on Saturday, May 9. For the second year in a row, the event will be held at the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club in St. Louis.<download>
• Draft to Serve as National Spokesperson for Winning with Asthma Campaign Chris Draft has partnered with the National Lieutenant Governors Association as the national spokesperson for the Winning with Asthma Coach's Clipboard campaign.<download>
• Rams Linebacker Chris Draft Receives J.B. Award, Leads Winners on White House Tour Rams linebacker Chris Draft was on hand in Washington D.C. this week as he received recognition for his community efforts through a J.B. Award for Community Service. Draft received the award at the NFL Players Association Gala Thursday night, April 16th. On Friday, Draft lead the award winners to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., where he took them on a tour of the White House.<download>
• Tackling Asthma™ Across Missouri with the Asthma Team™ March 3, 2009 - St. Louis, MO. Rams linebacker Chris Draft will bring the Missouri Asthma Team™ together for a special day of events to support St. Louis agencies, the American Lung Association and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of St. Louis.<download>
• CHRIS DRAFT SELECTED AS JB AWARD WINNER AND FINALIST FOR BYRON “WHIZZER” WHITE AWARD ST. LOUIS – St. Louis Rams linebacker Chris Draft has been selected as a JB Award recipient, an annual honor bestowed upon 12 active NFL players in recognition of their off the field contributions. As a winner of a JB Award, Draft is also automatically a finalist for the Byron “Whizzer” White Award, an award named in honor of former NFL player and Supreme Court Justice Byron White. <download>
• Rams Linebacker Chris Draft Joins the Player Networking Event in Tampa January 29, 2009 – Tampa, FL. The Chris Draft Family Foundation will travel to Tampa to participate in this year’s Player Networking Event (PNE). The Player Networking Event™, an exclusively owned property of Troupe21 & Associates, was created to help current and former athletes transition from sports. <download>
• Lt. Governor Kinder, Rams Linebacker Chris Draft Unveil "Winning With Asthma" JEFFERSON CITY – Lt. Governor Peter Kinder today joined St. Louis Rams Linebacker Chris Draft to unveil a new program targeted to raise awareness for Asthma sufferers across the state<download>
• Chris Draft Selected as the Rams' Walter Payton Man of the Year Recepient The St. Louis Rams today announced Chris Draft has been selected as the Rams’ Walter Payton Man of the Year recipient. Draft will now go on to compete with the other 31 team’s representatives for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. <download>
• Counting Our Blessings Gala Celebrates Positive Work in the Community Draft and the Foundation have engaged in many activities in the city and county of St. Louis, as well as across the country, that emphasize the significance of family literacy and character education, stressing the importance of healthy lifestyles, character development, personal responsibility, self-discipline and physical fitness. <download>
• St. Louis Rams Linebacker Chris Draft Presents "A Tribute to St. Louis" The Counting Our Blessings Gala will be a tribute to St. Louis, and a celebration of the good works that the Chris Draft Family Foundation, in partnership with the Rams’ organization, have been able to achieve in the community<download>
• St. Louis Rams to Visit Scott Air Force Base Youth Center as Part of Hometown Huddle ST. LOUIS, MO -- As part of the 2008 NFL United Way Hometown Huddle, the Rams will travel to Scott Air Force Base to engage local youth in after school activities. The activities will incorporate the HOPSports training, outdoor agility drills, healthy snacks and character-building exercses.<download>
• U.S. Education Department Official To Recognize American Star Of Teaching In House Springs, Missouri HOUSE SPRINGS, MO -- The U.S. Department of Education’s Linda McKay will highlight effective teaching practices and the No Child Left Behind Act during a visit to Cedar Springs Elementary School in House Springs, Mo., at 10 a.m. CDT on Tuesday, Sept. 9.<download>
• Dance St. Louis Collaborates with the St. Louis Rams,St. Louis Blues and St. Louis Cardinals to Launch The Most Beautiful Sport in the World Campaign ST. LOUIS, MO -- New PSA campaign rebrands dance as a sport and uses images and endorsements of top St. Louis pro athletes – Chris Draft, Jamal Mayers and Rick Ankiel – to attract new audiences and supporters to the arts.<download>
• St. Louis Rams Linebacker Chris Draft Hosts Family Fitness Camp ST. LOUIS, MO -- On Saturday May 17, St. Louis Rams Linebacker Chris Draft welcomes almost 400 youth and parents to his Get Checked and Get Fit™ Draft Day™: St. Louis Style fitness camp at Herbert Hoover Boys & Girls Club Sportsman’s Park Unit on North Grand Avenue.<download>
• U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings Joins NFL Players and DC Schools Chancellor Rhee To Highlight Volunteerism At Washington, DC High School U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, Chris Draft of the St. Louis Rams, Warrick Dunn of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and District of Columbia Public Schools Chancellor Rhee today stressed the importance of volunteerism during a visit to Banneker High School in Washington, D.C.<download>
• NFL Players To Be Honored with JB Awards for Community Service at Annual NFL PLAYERS Gala to Benefit Special Olympics D.C. March 27, 2008 - On Friday, April 4, James Brown, host of -THE NFL TODAY on CBS, along with THE NFL TODAY analyst and former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher, will honor some of the NFL’s biggest heroes at the NFL PLAYERS Gala Featuring the JB Awards, an annual awards presentation benefiting Special Olympics District of Columbia.<download>
• Rams Linebacker Chris Draft to Serve as the Celebrity Climber in First-Ever Competitive Stairclimb in St. Louis St. Louis, MO, February 27, 2008—Rams linebacker Chris Draft will serve as the Celebrity Climber in the first-ever competitive stair climb event, entitled Master the Met, in St. Louis on March 1, 2008.<download>
• CCPS high school students participate in “A Discussion and A Movie™” Clayton County Public Schools --A select group of high school students from across Clayton County has been invited by National Football League player Chris Draft to participate in a special leadership/citizenship building event.<download>
• NFL Linebacker, Chris Draft Makes Presentation To Clayton County Students Riverdale, GA - When St. Louis Rams linebacker, Chris Draft (former Atlanta Falcon), watched a screening of the movie, “The Great Debaters”, he had a brilliant idea. Draft and the Chris Draft Family Foundation are traveling the country screening the movie for local students.<download>
• Chris Draft To Host Health & Fitness Camp At Super Bowl XLII PHOENIX, AZ – January 30, 2008. St. Louis Rams Linebacker Chris Draft, winner of a 2008 JB Award for leadership, dedication, and commitment to team and community, and The Chris Draft Family Foundation will host “Get Checked and Get Fit” Draft Day: Super Bowl XLII at the Espiritu NFL Youth Education Town (YET) Academy 4848 S. 2nd Street in Phoenix on Saturday February 2.<download>
• St. Louis Rams Linebacker Chris Draft To Be Honored Prior To Super Bowl As NFL Alumni Spirit Award Winner ST. LOUIS – St. Louis Rams linebacker Chris Draft will receive the 2008 NFL Alumni Spirit Award during the NFL Alumni Player of the Year Awards Dinner prior to Super Bowl XLII. <download>
• Atlanta Public Schools Students to Attend Private Screening and Roundtable Discussion of The Great Debaters ATLANTA – On Friday, Jan. 25, 450 Atlanta Public High School students will attend a private screening and panel discussion of the Golden Globe Nominated film The Great Debaters...<download>
• Chris Draft Selected As JB Award Winner And Finalist For Byron “Whizzer” White Award ST. LOUIS – St. Louis Rams linebacker Chris Draft has been selected as a JB Award recipient, an annual honor bestowed upon 12 active NFL players in recognition of their off the field contributions.<download>
• Chris Draft and St. Louis Rams Invite Student Leaders to Screening of The Great Debaters ST. LOUIS – On Friday, Jan. 11, 300 St. Louis Public High School students will attend a private screening and panel discussion of the Golden Globe nominated film The Great Debaters at the Chase Park Plaza Cinema. <download>