Many college football fans have negative feelings about the new NIL landscape and the wild west culture being created. However, many positives exist in addition to the perceived negatives. Chiefly, collegiate athletes now have the ability to pursue charitable efforts. South Carolina football running back Dakereon Joyner made a promise this preseason to make a donation to charity for each touchdown that he scored in the 2023 season.
On Monday, the 6th-year senior made good on his promise.
After scoring two touchdowns through the second week of the season (breaking the plane of the goal line for the Gamecocks’ first score against North Carolina and against Furman), Joyner took to social media to let South Carolina football fans know that he had not forgotten his promise.
https://twitter.com/Cant_StopCinco/status/1701363650395525255?s=20
Joyner has made a donation to Bridges of Hope and one to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Bridges of Hope is a cause near and dear to the Charleston native’s heart. Joyner lost his father when he was young, and one of the primary objectives of Bridges of Hope is to provide young people, especially children and teens, with counseling and other means of support while dealing with heavy grief.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is committed to working with individuals to “talk away the dark” thoughts of suicide and self-harm through counseling and other means of conversational support.
Both Bridges of Hope and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention rely on the efforts of volunteers and the funding of generous donors like DK Joyner to help keep operations running.
If you wish to donate or volunteer with BoH, click this link.
If you wish to donate or volunteer with the AFSP, click this link.
So far in the 2023 season, Joyner has 131 total yards and 2 touchdowns. He plans to continue his charitable giving with each touchdown, giving South Carolina football fans even more reason to root for #5.