Bill Belichick donates $10,000 to Lexington Youth Football

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New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and his foundation have donated $10,000 to Lexington’s youth football program, the largest donation they have ever received.

According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, ten NFL players and dozens of college football stars got their start in the Lexington youth leagues, and a recent upswing in participation has led to their grant from the Bill Belichick foundation.

In 2017, more than 677 players participated in the league. That’s more than double than what it was two years ago, when the number of kids dropped to 319, the lowest in the history of the nearly 50-year program, parks officials say.

Darliene Haley, athletic director for Lexington parks youth, said the grant will help pay for pads, helmets, safety equipment, blocking dummies, agility hoops, and blocking shields, among other things.

“Football is an expensive program to run,” Haley told the Herald-Leader. “We would never be able to afford this equipment without this grant.”

Dermontti Dawson, Frank Minniefield, Marc Logan, Cornell Burbage, and George Adams are just a few former NFL standouts to get their start in Lexington youth leagues.

With Belichick’s help, along with a recent spike in local participation, maybe Lexington’s next legendary football player will be suiting up this fall.