“I Definitely Wanted To Do Something Local”: Packers RB AJ Dillon Donates $35,000 Fantasy Winnings To Non-Profits in Green Bay

Published 01/13/2022, 2:29 PM EST

NFL franchise Green Bay Packers RB AJ Dillon before the 2021 NFL season was never part of the Fantasy Football realm. But before the start of this season, he did decide to take a chance and give it a real push. He ends up receiving a challenge from Sleeper, a fantasy sports app, to enter their annual Sleeper Bowl. They put him in a celebrity fantasy football league filled with top Fantasy ‘experts.’

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Dillon, while speaking on his reasons to accept such a challenge, states that they awoke his fiery competitor side. In a league where gambling has been strictly prohibited, AJ was free to participate in fantasy football leagues.

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The surprise from all this was the result, where AJ ended up winning $35,000, beating all the experts. The moment he won the prize money, he was quick to donate $25,000 of the winnings to the Cancer Team at Bellin Health. His motivation was to settle down at Green Bay and be a “For-lifer,” and philanthropy locally was big on his bucket list.

Packers RB A.J. Dillon donated $35,000 in fantasy football winnings to local nonprofits in the Green Bay area. Way to go, @ajdillon7 👏 https://t.co/SxCjLThXgW
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 13, 2022

AJ Dillon and his deeper reasons behind the donation

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Even the Marketing VP of Sleeper, Jeremy Darlow, was pleasantly surprised by Dillon’s philanthropic plans. Darlow reveals it was the first such instance of a star putting his money up for such a kind act for him. Dillon, though, did have his own deeper reasons for donating away his fantasy winnings. His soon-to-be mother-in-law did receive a breast cancer diagnosis during his NFL offseason. Her battle at Bellin and subsequent speedy recovery really made Dillon have a different perspective on life.

The rest of the $10,000 prize money also went up to the Willow Tree Cornerstone Child Advocacy Center, a community center that assists law enforcement and child protective services in issues of child abuse and neglect. His big-hearted gestures surely have made him one of the more beloved players in the Packers ranks.

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The Packers RB has his eyes set on winning the Vince Lombardi Trophy and bringing it back to Green Bay. Dillon does come across to most of his fans as a real classy individual with big aspirations of bringing change and happiness.

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Written by:

An NFL author at EssentiallySports, Anuj Tazhatuveetil is pursuing a Master's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. Initially, he worked as a freelance content writer and later as a part of Sports404. An unquenchable thirst to learn about all things NFL and NBA, adding to a rather healthy obsession with playing outdoor sports like basketball, and soccer with an almost encyclopedic knowledge of this industry make him a sports aficionado.

“I Definitely Wanted To Do Something Local”: Packers RB AJ Dillon Donates $35,000 Fantasy Winnings To Non-Profits in Green Bay

AJ Dillon and his deeper reasons behind the donation

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