Atlanta Falcons punter Bradley Pinion knows that there is only so much he can do to help his team because of the position he plays. The main thing he can do is land a punt inside the 20-yard line and give the opposing team tough field position.
With help from his wife, Kaeleigh, Pinion decided to use his successful punts as a way to serve others too. They teamed up with Compassion International, a faith-based organization working to release children from poverty, to create the “Punts for Purpose” initiative. The money raised goes toward helping fund “The Fight for First,” Compassion’s campaign to fund survival centers that support newborns and their mothers around the world.
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According to Compassion, 2.6 million babies die within 28 days every year, and 830 women die from pregnancy or childbirth complications every day. Pinion’s strong faith in God and desire to share the love of Christ is one of the things that motivated him to join the cause.
“I’m ‘Fighting for First’ because I don’t want the first time these children feel Jesus to be when they get to Heaven,” he said in a video promoting the campaign that also featured former NFL players Jordy Nelson and Carson Palmer.
This season, Pinion and Washington Commanders punter Tress Way are both donating $1,000 for each punt they land inside the 20. This past weekend, they were joined by other punters from around the league. A total of 12 punters were involved season.
“Seeing other punters in the league participate in ‘Punts for Purpose’ is incredible,” Pinion told Compassion. “It is truly humbling and exciting to have other punters join in on something my wife and I are so passionate about, especially since becoming a father myself. I know now, more than ever before, how crucial a baby’s first years can be, and how that can set the foundation for them to thrive the rest of their lives.”
Like Pinion, Way’s relationship with God is a central part of his life. Both of them have been on the Sports Spectrum Podcast to talk about their faith journey.
“Dedicating my punts this season to ‘Punts for Purpose’ allows me to be part of something bigger than myself,” Way said. “We might be opponents on the field, but this week, we’re on the same team, doing what we can on the field to help 25,000 babies and their moms make it to their first birthday.”
Pinion also shared his testimony as part of Sports Spectrum’s “I Once Was” video series. In the video, he describes an interaction with an “angel” that influenced his decision to attend Clemson.
“The Fight for First” has raised more than $6.8 million and is closing in on its goal of $7.5 million by the end of 2024. That would be enough money to fund 500 survival centers. For Pinion, partnering with Compassion on the project was a way to live out his faith and spread God’s love.
“I firmly believe that God put me in this position to help people and to use this platform to share His light and to share His Word,” he said in an interview with FOX News.
Pinion and the Falcons (6-3) visit the New Orleans Saints (2-7) at 1 p.m. ET Sunday. Way and the Commanders (7-2) host the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) at the same time.
To learn more about “Punts for Purpose” and make a donation, click here.
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