Two NFL draft prospects spent an evening with 85+ children facing medical challenges and their caregivers — three days before the most consequential night of their careers. Here’s what that moment taught us.

By Joy Le Couteur, Director of Athlete Engagement, Athletes for Hope

Three days before the start of the NFL Draft, Cole Payton and Fred Davis II had every reason to turn inward.

Cole is a quarterback out of North Dakota State. Fred, a cornerback out of Northwestern. Both of them were in the thick of one of the most transformative weeks of their lives — the kind of week where it would be completely understandable to just put your head down, tune everything out, and wait for your name to be called.

Instead, on the evening of April 20, 2026, they hopped on a virtual event with more than 85 kids and caregivers from Project Sunshine’s Network — children navigating serious medical challenges, some of them from hospital beds — and spent their evening answering questions.

No agenda beyond showing up. Just two athletes, a live Q&A, and a room full of kids who wanted to know what they thought.

The questions that mattered most

The kids didn’t ask the things you might expect.

They asked about bullying — how to handle it when it happens to you, or to someone you love. They asked what the biggest lessons Cole and Fred had learned from playing football. And, in the way only a kid can, one of them asked what the two of them were planning to buy with their first pro check.

One of the answers, very sweetly, was: a farm.

I’ll tell you what amazed me the most about that night. It wasn’t the questions themselves. It was the joy on the kids’ faces when they realized these two guys were actually there — actually listening, actually theirs for the evening. One parent shared afterward:

“We weren’t sure what to expect, so our kids loved the practically one-on-one chat. Like, two players to ask questions to — it felt really awesome!”

Another shared:

“Getting the chance to truly interact… my son loved getting to ask a question to the speaker. Wish I would’ve learned of this group sooner. THANK YOU!”

And from HopeKids, one of our partner communities that joined the evening:

“I just wanted to reach out and let you know how much both myself and so many of our families enjoyed the evening with Fred and Cole. They are both fine examples of athletes who seem genuinely interested in giving back in this way. Very thankful for your partnership with Project Sunshine that has allowed our families exposure to you all and these wonderful athletes.”

Why do this now?

I know it’s a fair question: why put an event like this on the calendar three days before the draft?

Here’s what I’ve come to believe. The higher the stakes, the easier it is to turn inward — to let nerves and anxiety take over. And in those moments, shifting your focus outward is one of the most grounding things you can do. Doing something for someone else. Reconnecting with a sense of community. As an athlete myself, I know how much lighter a pressure week can feel when you remember that the people on the other side of the screen — or in the stands, or in the stadium — aren’t there to judge you. They’re there because they want to be with you.

I told Cole and Fred how impressed I was. Taking the time to show up for these kids and families, during one of the most transformative weeks of their lives, says everything about their character. They’re not just exceptional athletes — they’re exceptional men. The way they showed up that night (warm, approachable, and fully present with every kid who asked a question) told me everything I need to know about the kind of teammates and leaders they are.

What only athletes can do

There’s something about an athlete’s platform that a check or a campaign just can’t replicate.

I don’t think athletes always realize the lasting power of a single interaction. When you take the time to show up for someone in your community, it can become a memory that person carries for the rest of their life — a story that gets told and retold for years to come. 

I learned this when I was competing. Interacting with kids was always a highlight of my own career, and I always walked away feeling encouraged and inspired — especially when I got to be around children facing medical challenges. It has a way of putting everything in perspective. Whatever I thought I was dealing with felt a lot smaller the moment I saw the strength and resilience those kids carried every single day.

Now I get the privilege of helping other athletes experience that same joy and sense of purpose. It’s honestly the best part of my job.

Twenty years in

Athletes for Hope is in its 20th year — founded back in 2006 by a group of athletes who believed sport’s greatest asset was never the trophies, but the platform. Twenty years later, a night like this one is the quiet proof of concept: a virtual pre-draft visit that didn’t make a single headline and that 85+ kids and caregivers will remember for the rest of their lives.

And a huge congratulations to Cole, who’s heading to the Eagles, and to Fred, who’s joining the Commanders. We can’t wait to cheer you on!

If you’re an athlete reading this — whatever point you’re at in your career, whatever is coming next week or next year — the invitation is the same one Cole and Fred said yes to that night: turn outward. The power of being present and taking the time can make the greatest impact. 

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Athletes for Hope connects athletes with causes and communities that they care about most. To learn more or get involved, visit athletesforhope.org.

Project Sunshine delivers the healing power of play to children with medical needs. To learn more about Project Sunshine or make a donation, visit https://projectsunshine.org

HopeKids serves families who have a child with a life-threatening medical condition. To learn more about HopeKids or make a donation, visit hopekids.org

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