Coming off one of the lowest points of his career, Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews is getting a much-needed appointment from Buffalo Bills fans, of all people.
A GoFundMe page launched by 19-year-old Nicholas Howard was approaching $80,000 in donations as of Wednesday evening, with the money going to Andrews’ brainchild, Breakthrough T1D, a type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization.
Within 24 hours, Howard walked off the field, cheering on the Bills’ 27-25 win over Baltimore in Sunday’s divisional game, and began collecting money. He did so in response to Andrews taking the brunt of the criticism, including receiving death threats on social media after he missed a foul and missed a potential 2-point conversion with 1:33 left.
“I feel bad because it’s a bunch of couch potatoes saying these hateful words,” Howard told The Associated Press by phone.
“He kicked his butt to get where he is and he didn’t mean to drop that pass, obviously he made a mistake and everyone makes mistakes,” he added. “He does a lot for the community, it’s funny that they would do that to him.”
Ravens TE Mark Andrews explains what it’s like to play football with type 1 diabetes and being an inspiration to kids with the disease
Andrews has refused to speak publicly since the loss, despite receiving a lot of support from teammates and coaches.
“Mark is a complete competitor. He will be fine,” defender Patrick Ricard said. “He’s going to be in pain for a while, but he’s going to go on to do great things.”
Meanwhile, the Ravens sent a message to X thanking the Bills Mafia for their support.
Pam Morrisroe, chief marketing officer for Breakthrough T1D, said she and her staff were overwhelmed by the donations made in such a short time.
“Obviously it was upsetting to see the backlash that came out of Sunday’s game. But to see that turn around overnight with this GoFundMe is amazing,” Morrisroe told the AP.
“It’s amazing to see that level of support and compassion. And we appreciate the fundraisers for doing this. It’s amazing,” he added. “I know this was a very difficult situation, but I hope (Andrews) also sees the good in that. And we can’t thank him enough for being such a strong supporter of our organization.”
This marks the latest time Bills fans have booed the players.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars were sent to former Bengals fan Andy Dalton’s charitable foundation after he led Cincinnati to a rout of Baltimore in the 2017 regular-season finale, and the Ravens’ loss earned Buffalo its first playoff berth in 18 seasons.
In 2020, more than $1 million was donated to Buffalo’s Oishei Children’s Hospital in honor of quarterback Josh Allen after the death of his grandmother Patricia. Last year, more than $300,000 in donations were raised for Bills kicker Tyler Bass, a cat rescue shelter, after he was criticized for missing a potential game-tying 44-yard field goal attempt in the final minutes of a 27-24 game. divisional round loss to Kansas City.
“That’s a big part of why I wanted to start it because it’s been done in the past, and I know the Bills Mafia can do it again,” said Howard, whose initial fundraising goal of $5,000 was broken within hours of the page’s launch. . “I love the NFL and I love the players and how they represent all of these benefits. … And I want to give back to them by giving back to others.”
It is reported by the Associated Press.
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