Jordan Davis plays quarterback, and serves up a Thanksgiving meal to Camden families: ‘It takes a village’
The Jordan Davis Family Foundation served a fully catered Thanksgiving meal — and handed out frozen turkeys and laptops — on Tuesday night.
The Eagles’ Jordan Davis had a different role Tuesday night at the Salvation Army Camden Kroc Center. The 6-foot-6, 336-pound defensive tackle lined up under center as the designated quarterback in a room with over 100 children, ready to play flag football.
Davis spent time with four teams, joining each huddle and running plays as he introduced football to several kids who had never played the sport before.
“This is the best flag football team in Camden, New Jersey. And I’m standing on that right now,” Davis said. “If I had so much time, I would actually coach y’all because y’all have so much potential.”
» READ MORE: Week 12 NFL power rankings roundup: ESPN drops Eagles from top spot after win
This was just one way the North Carolina native helped families in need Tuesday. The Jordan Davis Family Foundation provided a fully catered Thanksgiving meal to families who attended. And to end the night, all the families were handed Thanksgiving turkeys and AT&T laptops as they left the Kroc Center.
Partnering with the Salvation Army is a full-circle moment for Davis. When he was a child, his family received assistance from the organization. Now, it’s his turn to give back.
“It was hard for my mom, just making sure that we had a meal every night, me and my brothers,” Davis said. “And even nights that she might have sacrificed the meal for herself, it was always meant for us to eat. And I think that’s just a wonderful story for me because it shows the type of woman that she is.
“She raised me to be that way. And it might not be a meal here, it could be a coat drive. It could be another drive. It could be a back-to-school event. It could be a kids camp. Anything matters. Everything matters. So, that’s just something that I keep in my heart, and I want to keep that going.”
Davis isn’t the only Eagles player giving back ahead of the holiday season. Last week, running back Saquon Barkley partnered with Ashley Furniture and the Salvation Army to give out mattresses and bedding to families in need.
“It takes a village to raise a child,” Davis said. “And that’s something that my team, we always say. It takes a village. … When you have an opportunity to give back, it doesn’t matter what time it is. As long as you have that time, you want to make sure that you’re providing that time.
“Time is the most important thing you can spend. And we could be doing anything else with this time right now, but we spend it giving back and we spend it doing the things that matter most to us.”