The 2024 Steinberg DeNicola

 presented by

CONGRATULATIONS

to the 2024 Steinberg DeNicola Humanitarian Awards Recipients 

  • Kelvin Beachum’s successful career within the NFL is matched by his outstanding philanthropic efforts throughout the community. The Offensive Tackle for the Arizona Cardinals recently traveled to Zambia with World Vision USA to fund clean water access, and later facilitated conversations about clean energy with the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats. Beachum has used his platform to help diversify the aviation industry, partnering with the Brock Foundation, Microsoft, and the United Aviate Academy to provide resources aimed at helping students pass their pilot certification exams. An avid supporter of the arts, he has loaned work to the Phoenix Art Museum, regularly volunteers for the United Food Bank, and supports Feeding America.

  • Angela LaChica's 25 year career in the sports industry has made her a notable figure for sports marketing and social justice advocacy within the NFL. She is President and CEO of professional athlete management firm LaChica Sports & Entertainment Group, sits on the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation Board of Directors, and is an adjunct professor at California State University, Long Beach. LaChica serves as the Managing Director for Player's Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to improving social justice and racial equality. She hosts philanthropic and charity events throughout local communities and recently launched a Global Sport Business Immersion Program, which connects students with professionals to gain insight and exposure into the business aspect of the sports industry.

  • Former Tennessee Offensive Lineman Trey Smith joined the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive line in 2021. He became one of the rare rookie players to start all 17 regular season games in 2021 and helped bring the Kansas City Chiefs to victory at Super Bowl LVII. He is playing his second Super Bowl with the team this year. Smith has become an avid supporter of various philanthropic programs, creating a Reps for Rare Diseases Campaign, working with the National Blood Clot Alliance, advocating for the Joe Delaney Learn to Swim Program, and partnering with Uncornered, which is an organization aimed at creating safer and stronger communities through their mission to end gun violence nationally.

  • Kordell Stewart played in the NFL for 11 seasons, most notably with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1995-2002. During his tenure he received the nickname “Slash” for his versatile abilities to play Quarterback, Running Back, Wide Receiver, Punter, and Returner. He helped lead the Steelers to Super Bowl XXX in 1995 and led the team to an 11-5 record as starting quarterback in 1997. Stewart recently headlined the Traillionaires Foundation’s Financial Literacy and Education Program, an organization that supports youth of color and collegiate student athletes. He has been a keynote speaker for the Boy Scouts of America and is a proud supporter of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

  • Kevin Warren has had an extensive career in the sports industry. Prior to his current title as President and CEO of the Chicago Bears, Warren was an executive of the St. Louis Rams when they won Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000, served as COO for the Minnesota Vikings, and became a Big Ten Commissioner in 2019. In 2014 Warren co-founded Carolyn's Comforts Fund, a children's cancer emergency assistance program that has supplied over 1,000 financial grants and has donated $1 million to Masonic Children's Hospital. He established the Warren Family Foundation in 2019, which is dedicated to embracing, educating, and empowering the journeys of creative youth. The foundation recently pledged $1 million to Lurie Children's Hospital.

  • Dr. Jen Welter has achieved a groundbreaking career in football, becoming the first female coach in NFL history, winning four World Championships during her 14-year career in Women's Football, receiving a Doctorate in Psychology, and founding incredible philanthropic initiatives. She is the creator of A Day in the Life of an NFL Player: Football Camp for Women, as well as the Grrridiron Girls Football Camp, which is the largest and longest running football camp for girls. Her Camp on the Corner Program brings football to youth in under-served areas, and she is currently partnering with the Joy Taylor Foundation to host two Super Bowl events for women and girls.

about leigh steinberg

Leigh Steinberg, premier sports agent, entrepreneur, Chairman, and founder of Steinberg Sports and Entertainment, is best known for his work building athletes into stand-alone brands. He is often credited as the real-life inspiration for the Oscar-winning film Jerry Maguire. Leigh has represented many of the most successful athletes and coaches in football, basketball, baseball, hockey, boxing, golf, etc., including the number one overall pick in the NFL draft for an unprecedented eight times in conjunction with 64 total first-round picks. Furthermore, Leigh has represented other notable athletes, including Oscar De La Hoya and Lennox Lewis, as well as multiple Olympians and professional teams. With an unrivaled history of record-setting contracts, Leigh has secured over $4 billion for his 300+ pro-athlete clients and directed more than $1 billion to various charities around the world.  In addition to his work in the industry, Leigh is also a best-selling author. Leigh has been named one of the most powerful people in the NFL by Football Digest and one of the most powerful people in sports by Sporting News. 

About cosmo denicola

As a global business leader and 40-year entrepreneur, Cosmo has founded 7 businesses, acquired 10 companies, took a business public, and sold 7 companies to private equity and publicly traded global companies. Cosmo has experience managing a diverse portfolio of businesses serving 17 countries including technology, healthcare, media, and professional football, while actively managing humanitarian initiatives that impact positive, global change. These efforts are focused on areas that impact world health, cultural diplomacy, conservation, and recognition for those that influence change. He serves as a board member of the Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI), a New York based non-profit organization that works in tandem with the United Nations to implement humanitarian projects tackling difficult global and domestic issues. Cosmo cofounded the Steinberg DeNicola Humanitarian Awards (63 Honorees) which annually recognizes NFL Players, Coaches, Owners, and Executives for outstanding contributions to their communities. In 2021 Cosmo & Morgan DeNicola (Executive Director) established the DeNicola Family Foundation. Cosmo also serves on the Board of the Papal Foundation, a charitable organization in the United States that is dedicated to fulfilling grants requested by the Vatican. Since its inception in 1988, The Papal Foundation has funded $200 million in grants and scholarships around the world to more than 2,000 projects.