Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Darqueze Dennard was happy to return to the team in free agency this past March.
Equally as important as his relationship with teammates, the former first-round pick has been a major figure within the local community.
That took a completely new step this week when Dennard gifted a struggling family of nine a renovated home in Cheviot.
Working in unison with his Dennard Difference foundation and multiple other entities, the cornerback restored a home in the local community and gifted it to the family in need.
“With nine children ranging in ages from 4 to 18, the family struggled in Cheviot and needed a permanent situation,” a local NBC News affiliate in Ohio noted. “Dennard found the avenues to link specific organizations offering their time and talents to turn the house around,” From new beds and dressers to completely designed living spaces for each child, Dennard explained why this project meant so much.”
With the Bengals since being selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Dennard has acted the part of an altruistic figure within the local community.
His foundation has in the past hosted football camps and 7-on-7 tournaments. This new project is something that’s dear to the cornerback’s heart.
“They know the feeling, my sisters know the feeling, my family knows the feeling, and I know how it is to not have a house,” explained Dennard. “I’m a living testimony that anything you want in life is possible.”
Props to the young man for making a difference. It’s tremendous to see stories of this ilk around a football world that’s usually inundated with police blurbs and other negative stories.