Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long is being hailed as a hero after fans learned he is donating his entire 2017 NFL salary to charity.
Long’s foundation reported on Wednesday that his final ten paychecks for the 2017 season will be spread out across the three cities he has played for during his NFL career, according to The Wrap.
The ten paychecks will go to fund educational opportunity in the cities of Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Boston.
The foundation also noted that Long had already donated his first six checks which were put toward scholarships at the middle school and high school he attended in Charlottesville, Virginia.
In his statement on the donations, the 32-year-old player also celebrated his tenth year in the NFL.
“In my 10th year, I want to celebrate the awesome opportunity I’ve had to play football by giving back to the communities that have given me that gift. Educational opportunity and equity are the best gateway to a better tomorrow for everyone in America,” Long wrote.
This month Long launched a “Pledge 10 for Tomorrow” campaign aimed at encouraging fans and businesses to donate to his causes, donations that the player says he will match.
The Super Bowl 51 champion’s donation amounts to at least one million dollars.
“Long’s base salary this year is $1 million, and he signed a two-year, $4.5 million contract with the Eagles in March that included a $500,000 signing bonus and a guaranteed $1.5 million,” The Wrap wrote.
The player was hailed on Twitter for his generosity:
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.