Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and Charlotte Bobcats forward Tyrus Thomas secured on Tuesday night a long-standing award that, as of 2010, includes a pro athlete category.
The Jefferson Award, established in 1972 by a group including Jacqueline Onassis, is regarded as the “Nobel Prize for public service,” per the San Francisco Chronicle. Past recipients include Gen. Colin Powell, Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor, and Oprah Winfrey.
Asomugha was one of 15 recipients of the 2010 edition of the Jefferson Award. He earned it via projects that include building two community centers, creating a foundation to help widows and orphans in Nigeria, and establishing the Asomugha College Tour for Scholars, which provides high-achieving students with an opportunity to visit college campuses.
“It’s something I am very humbled by,” Asomugha told the Chronicle. “And very grateful of. People are paying attention to people helping out in the community, and it would be something if someone else saw that and they went out and did something positive. . . .
“There is so much negative stuff out there that sometimes you don’t hear all the positive stories about what athletes do. But a professional athlete can be a very powerful and influential member of the community.”
He’s right -- and Asomugha’s efforts need to be celebrated. Perhaps, if the Raiders can put together some positive performances in 2010, Asomugha’s off-field exploits will be known as well as his high-end on-field skills.