Dalvin Tomlinson named NFLPA Community MVP for Week 9

Minnesota Vikings’ defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson is having a big impact on the field this season for the purple, but this past week he had an even greater impact in the lives of a bunch of people who really needed it.

Tomlinson has been named the NFLPA’s Community MVP for Week 9 of this NFL season after he played host to six families this past week through the Brighter Days Family Grief Center before the game against Arizona at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Brighter Days Family Grief Center is an organization that provides support to children and young adults that are dealing with the death or terminal illness of a family member. The group that Tomlinson hosted consisted of six families and approximately 30 people. Before the game, the group met with Tomlinson, who took pictures with them, signed autographs, and shared stories of his own experiences.

Tomlinson lost both of his parents before he graduated high school, with his father having passed when he was a small child and his mother passing during his senior year of high school in Georgia. Given that, it’s easy to see why this would be a cause that’s near to his heart.

In a statement, Tomlinson said, “It’s an honor being named the NFLPA Community MVP. My mother has always been my motivation for the work I’ve done in the community. She always told me, be a blessing to others while you can.”

The award means that the NFLPA will give $10,000 to a charity or foundation of Tomlinson’s choice, and that he now becomes eligible (along with every other weekly winner) for the Alan Page Community Award that will be given out at the end of the season.

Kudos to Dalvin Tomlinson for taking the time out to do this for these families and to help them get through a difficult period in their lives.

(Hat tip to Pro Football Talk for some of the information used to put this story together.)