Long eyes second ring after season of giving
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end looking to pick up back to back Super Bowl wins
Chris Long has spent this season playing for nothing -- but a second Super Bowl ring in as many seasons would be more than adequate compensation for the hulking Philadelphia Eagles defensive end.
The 32-year-old veteran made headlines this year by giving away his entire paycheck to worthy causes, a way of expressing gratitude for a decade in the bruising front lines of the NFL.
The articulate, 6ft 3in (1.91m) linebacker is now back in the Super Bowl for a second straight year, 12 months after winning the title with the New England Patriots, who he will line up against on Sunday.
As well as his salary give-away, Long has also been a vocal supporter of Eagles team-mates who have protested against social injustice this season. Just as he did last year following the Patriots win, he has already vowed not to attend a White House reception should the Eagles win.
"Everybody wants to improve their country," Long told reporters in Minneapolis on Wednesday. "And athletes have a big platform. And at the end of the day I think we have a responsibility," he added while playing down the significance of his decision to give away his paychecks.
"I've been lucky, played 10 years and made a lot of money,"
"So I make no bones about it. I'm not the first guy to give away a million dollars to a cause. There's a lot of charitable guys in the league, and a lot of charitable guys outside the league.
"But the cool thing about my platform is that with social media I have a unique opportunity to get more people involved, and that's what I did this year. I doubled my investment through fans, businesses, to grow."
Topped up by matching donations, Long has raised just under $2 million (1.61 million euros) for charities.His first six donated game cheques went towards creating two scholarships at a private school in Charlottesville, Virginia. The money will provide two students with seven years of all-expenses-paid tuition.His remaining 10 game cheques were divided up between the three cities he has spent his career in -- Boston, Philadelphia and St. Louis.
"Our educational system is certainly not perfect, so supplementing ways for under-served youth to get a better education is big for me," he said.
Long is now turning his attention to stopping New England Patriots star and former team-mate Tom Brady on Sunday. "It's a tall task to frustrate Tom, but you've got to give it a shot and you've got to play your game," he said.
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