Follow Chris Draft in Washington D.C. All Week on the Blog!

Like Jimmy Stewart in the 1939 film “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” Rams linebacker Chris Draft is headed to the nation’s capital. While he may not be serving as a United States Senator, like Jimmy Stewart, Draft will be taking time to make Washington a better place.

Draft will be in Washington D.C. to receive his J.B. Award for Community Service in recognition of his off-the-field community efforts. However, he’s using his time in Washington wisely, to teach kids about football, character, getting fit and also spending some time thanking members of the American military. He will even lead the J.B. Award winners on a tour of the White House’s West Wing.

Earlier this year, Draft was one of 12 active NFL players to be selected to receive a J.B. Award for Community Service from CBS Sports Analyst James Brown and the NFL Players Association. On April 16, Draft will join Brown for the NFL Players Gala, where the awards will be distributed. He will be on hand not only receiving his award, but assisting Brown with hosting duties as well.

Draft will have some very special guests joining him at the NFL Players Gala, including Dr. Ben Carson and his wife Candy, Kelly and Kevin Hinton, who have become good friends of the Chris Draft Family Foundation through the Asthma Team™, Ms. Sandra MacDonald, Health Professionals Roundtable presenter at Draft Family Fitness Day Atlanta, Vernon Strickland, General Counsel for the Chris Draft Family Foundation, Secret Service Agent Greg Price, Sr.  and his father Albert Coutourier, Alec Coughlin of Livenation, Foundation volunteer Cheryl Alexander and Draft’s very special guests, his parents Tony and Rose Draft.

Draft will spend some time before the NFL Players Gala having lunch with a group of Special Olympians, as well as talking with them about the importance of character. The following day, April 17, Draft will pay a visit to the troops at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, thanking them for their service to their country.

Following the visit to Walter Reed, Draft will regroup with the J.B. Award Winners and lead them on a tour, with the help of Greg Price, of the White House’s West Wing, as a thank you for what these players accomplish when they’re not playing football.

To wrap up April 17, Draft will attend the NFL Players Association’s Training Camp For Life, an “educational symposium aimed at assisting high school football players with their transition from high school to college and into their post collegiate lives.” Draft will instruct the high school football players about the best ways to get fit, stay in shape and continue leading healthy lives.

Between these events, Draft will also be shooting a video for the Environmental Protection Agency as well as meeting with the National Endowment for the Arts regarding their Big Read campaign.

You can follow Draft’s week in Washington D.C. right here on the Chris Draft Family Foundation Blog.