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Colts players explain inspiration behind cleats for 2024 My Cause, My Cleats game

From breast cancer to childhood literacy, Colts players chose a cause that is near and dear to their hearts for the NFL's My Cause, My Cleats game in Week 13.

In the Colts' Week 13 game against the New England Patriots, the footwear along the sidelines will look a little bit different; over 65 Colts players, coaches and staff members will be wearing custom cleats, dedicated to a charity of their choice as a part of the NFL's My Cause, My Cleats initiative.

Ahead of the game, we asked various players around the locker room about the meaning behind their cleats. Here are their stories:

AR Cleats

Anthony Richardson

The Boys and Girls Club of America aims to enable all young people to reach their potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens as they grow up. The foundation has clubs all around the country, including Indianapolis and Richardson's hometown of Gainesville, Fla. Richardson was a part of his local Boys and Girls Club growing up, and has fond memories of playing pool and enjoying time with his friends there.

"It's something that's near and dear to me," the quarterback said. "So I just thought, why not support it?"

Granson Cleats

Kylen Granson

Cause: KG’s Kids

Granson started KG's Kids in March of 2020, with the goal of trying to get children reading at an early age. The foundation donates books, hosts STEM nights and put on a variety of other programs and activities to promote literacy at an early age including their Karnival of Books and financial literacy workshops.

"I'm just glad I get another opportunity to show off what we're doing," Granson, who is wearing cleats supporting KG's Kids for the fourth year in a row, said.

Goodson Cleats

Tyler Goodson

Goodson's mother recently became a breast cancer survivor, and the Colts running back knew he had to do something honoring his mother for this year's My Cause, My Cleats game. Goodson also has plans to create his own foundation for children around the world who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

"Being in this position, it's not only an opportunity to play football but an opportunity to bring people together and inspire them to make the world a better place and the community a better place," Goodson said. "I've always been passionate about helping the people that support me, and this state this city does a great job of supporting us, so why not give it back, you know?"

Mallory Cleats

Will Mallory

For the second year in a row, Mallory dedicated his cleats to his mother and both of his grandmothers, all of whom battled breast cancer. He called his maternal grandmother Bonnie "Bunny," and she is represented by the cartoon bunny on the heel of his shoe.

"It's great because my dad coached football as well," Mallory said. "So he, when I was in high school, middle school, he would get to do the same thing and always honor them. So I just wanted to continue remembering them, just for what they've been through."

Stuard Cleats

Grant Stuard

Stuard stumbled across the Azaylia Foundation while on social media, instantly inspired by Ashley Cain and Safiyya Vorajee – the founders of the charity – and their tireless work to bring awareness to childhood cancer after they lost their eight-month-old daughter, Azalyia, to cancer in 2021. Stuard's grandmother passed away from cancer last year, and he has since become passionate about funding the research that goes into identifying and treating cancer.

"It helped me understand how important it is to fund the people doing the research, rather than just fund the treatment of it," Stuard said. "Fund the people doing the research so they can help solve those issues and identify specifically – they're working on identifying causes of cancer at that early of an age."

Stuard has no connection to the United Kingdom, where the foundation is based, but was so inspired by their story and their work that it only felt right to represent them on his cleats.

"They actually are funding doctors to go and do research at hospitals and stuff like that, and they're paid by the foundation to get this research done, and their progress is posted – their trials and all that stuff that they do," Stuard added. "So it's not kind of like this big collective for cancer research where you're kind of like 'What is that?' Seeing that they're equipping other people to go and do the research and solve problems and to work with kids is super cool. And the story was really awesome and motivational for me."

Jones Cleats

Jaylon Jones

Kicking the Stigma, the Irsay family and Colts' mental health initiative, immediately stood out to Jones as he was choosing what cause he wanted to support this year. Jones is firm in the belief that it's important for everyone to have conversations about mental health and wants to make sure everyone knows they have people out there who support them.

"I love the cause because mental health is a big piece of everything," Jones said. "Everybody goes through it in this world. I feel like just putting the message out there, showing people that even (NFL players) go through it gives people hope. There's nothing wrong with going to get help and things like that...to let everybody that's going through something that thinks they don't have a voice, that you have a voice. Everybody goes through things."

"To have this platform, to bring this cause to the world, it's a blessing, nothing short of it," Jones added. "That's my whole purpose in doing this, just to help out and give people hope back at home and across the world that you can do this too, and whatever you're going through, you have people behind you."

More than 65 Indianapolis Colts players – as well as the Irsay family, General Manager Chris Ballard and Head Coach Shane Steichen – will wear customized cleats and shoes that highlight charitable organizations in Indiana and across the country during this season's My Cause My Cleats game this Sunday at New England.

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