11th Annual Ted Hendricks Golf & Charity Event

November 1^st (Today) and November 2^nd (Tomorrow) I will be participating in the 11^th annual Ted Hendricks golf and charity event. The event will take place at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Florida. I agreed to participate in this tournament not just because I enjoy golf but because this event is meant to generate funding for national and local charities. Some of the charities include Alzheimer and Dementia Research projects, Birth Defect Survivor programs, mobility equipment for physically challenged youth and veterans, and grants to Special Olympics, ALS, Cystic Fibrosis, the Safe Passage career training program, and youth sports.

I am not the only former pro football player participating in this charity event. I will be joined by pro football hall of famer Bobby Bell (Kansas City Chiefs), pro football hall of famer Elvin Bethea (Houston Oilers), pro football hall of famer Harry Carson (New York Giants), former defensive end L.C. Greenwood (Pittsburgh Steelers), former defensive end Ed Too Tall Jones (Dallas Cowboys), pro football hall of famer Leroy Kelly (Cleveland Browns), pro football hall of famer Tom Mack (Los Angeles Rams), pro football hall of famer John Randle (Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks), pro football hall of famer Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions), offensive lineman and my former teammate Dan Sullivan (Baltimore Colts), pro football hall of famer Lynn Swann (Pittsburgh Steelers) pro football hall of famer Roger Wehrli (St. Louis Cardinals), pro football hall of famer Dan Hampton (Chicago Bears), and pro football hall of famer Rickey Jackson (New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers).

Today at noon, the first of us to arrive will participate in the Ted Challenge and then tonight at 7:00pm we will all meet for a V.I.P. dinner reception hosted by Walgreens and the Trump Foundation. The tournament begins tomorrow at 12:15pm. After the tournament, we will then participate in a silent auction at 5:00pm. Then, to end the day, we will all participate in an Award Dinner at 6:00pm.

I am looking forward to participating in this golf tournament that not only gives me an opportunity to play golf and spend time with old friends but also exists to raise money for numerous charities.  

This golf tournament isn’t the only charity I am currently involved in. Currently, I am a part of a team dedicated to remembering our retired NFL players. We’ve created the Keepr. The Keepr NFL Legends series is a premium collectible paying tribute to legends of the NFL. This entirely new, interactive USB device features 45 minutes of rare and select video highlights and interviews from the NFL Films vault. It capturers each player’s greatest and most memorable contributions to the game. Not only does this product bring famous retired NFL players into the homes of fans as a collectable item, it also aides our NFL retirees. A portion of the proceeds from this product will be donated to the Player Care Foundation (PCF).

Why is it important we raise money for the Player Care Foundation (PCF)? When I still played for the NFL, we didn’t make the same salary that players today make. When I was drafted, I was a first pick draft. My starting salary was $10,000 a year with a $4,000 bonus (using an inflation calculator, $10,000 in 1961 had the same buy power as roughly $77,000 in 2012). To give a little perspective, I compare that to Sam Bradford. He was also a first pick draft player. His starting salary: $50,000,000 a year. My peak salary during my career was $85,000 at the end. The Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger only has to play 1 game to earn what I did in 10 years. The money we made back then didn’t last the years, but the physical toll did. This is where the PCF comes in. The PCF exists to help us retired players. It is around to improve the quality of life of retired players including all aspects of their life including medical, emotional, financial, social and community.

The Keepr Media's website will be going up this week. www.keeprmedia.com