Demario Davis is well-known for his ferocity, speed, and leadership as a captain and linebacker for the New Orleans Saints. But what many people may not know is that before his NFL career, Davis was a substitute teacher — and education has remained close to his heart.

“Behind the pads and helmet, you’ll see a person who has always had a passion for transforming education,” Davis said.

His wife, Tamela, was also an educator. Together, they saw firsthand how the traditional education system leaves too many students behind — and the changes needed to make the system more empowering for all students.

“The traditional model is one-size-fits-all,” Davis said. “Not everyone thrives and survives in that system,” Tamela added. It’s this shared belief that led the Davises to partner with Stand Together and their network of educational entrepreneurs. Davis is highlighting Stand Together for the NFL’s annual My Cause My Cleats campaign, which allows players to shine the spotlight on mission-driven organizations and issues they are passionate about by wearing custom-designed cleats representing their chosen cause.

Together, the Davises and Stand Together are sparking a movement to create more individualized learning opportunities for every student.

“You have to think about the uniqueness of the different types of students,” Davis explained.

A team effort for change

Davis brings the same energy and conviction that fuel his legendary pregame pep talks to his education work — but he knew it would take a team to expand their impact and empower all kids. “We wanted to amplify our impact, [but] we didn’t have enough reach in the education space,” Davis explained.

That’s why the Davises chose to partner with Stand Together. By leveraging Stand Together’s expansive network of educational entrepreneurs, the Davises are able to bring tailored, individualized education to every kid in New Orleans and beyond.

Through their partnership, the Davises and Stand Together are shining a light on education innovators working to unlock students’ potential.

One example of those innovators is unCommon Construction, a New Orleans-based nonprofit that uses hands-on building projects to prepare young people with meaningful skills and career training. With 100% of unCommon students graduating on time — and every graduate continuing their education or landing a job within three months of completion — the program is proof of what’s possible when learning happens “outside the box,” or in this case, the classroom.

“unCommon Construction is part of the ecosystem trying to make change,” Davis said. “They’re leading the way and showing the world what is possible when you do learning outside of a traditional classroom.”

This hands-on approach is a proven method for helping youth discover their unique gifts and talents and set them on a meaningful career path.

Stronger together

What began as a partnership initially focused on education has grown into a collaboration committed to a broader network of changemakers across several issue areas in the Stand Together community. The Davises are excited to connect fans with the community-driven organizations that are developing bottom-up solutions to our country’s biggest challenges.

“My hope is that we help kids maximize themselves,” Davis said. “And being able to maximize ourselves is going to make us a better society.”

Together, the Davises and Stand Together are proving that when communities lead, transformation follows, and lasting change can happen one empowered learner at a time.

Fans can join Davis by visiting his My Cause My Cleats page to bid on his custom cleats or find another cause near you.

This story is part of a special partnership between the NFL and Stand Together, focused on amplifying and growing the impact of the philanthropic work of NFL players. Together, this collaboration shows real change comes when we unlock the strength within communities and the critical role each of us can play in contributing to solving problems around us.

Learn more about Stand Together’s top issue areas and explore ways you can partner with us.