The Earl Thomas III Guardian Angel Foundation

foundation_logo_smallGrowing up, Earl Thomas was lucky enough to have a strong, supportive family around him, but his life was not without hardship. His beginnings were humble and fraught with adversity, culminating with the loss of the family home in Orange, Texas, during Hurricane Rita in 2005.  Earl knows what it is to go without, which is why it remains so crucially important to him to give back to others.

In addition to various NFL-oriented community service activities like Play 60, Earl carries out a series of yearly efforts to help those who are less fortunate get back on their feet. His work annually includes a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway, a winter coat drive, and a free summer football camp for children in the town where he grew up.

The camp, in particular, has special meaning for him. As he told the Beaumont Enterprise in the summer of 2013:

“I always wanted somebody to come back and spend some time (when I was their age). This is not about me or my teammates, it’s about the kids. I take a lot of pride in being from, and love, Orange. We have some amazing athletes and they just need direction. I want to be that guy to point them in the best direction.”

A local TV station chronicled his efforts in the clip below.

You can follow the activities of his foundation on twitter at @ETGuardianAngel.