George Martin was a co-captain of the 1987 Super Bowl champion, New York Giants. The Giants crushed John Elway and the Denver Broncos 39-20, if you don't remember. Not quite the lopsided victory the Redskins had over the Horse faced lead team a year later in 1988, 42-10, but still memorable.
I digress...
Anyway, Martin played 14 seasons in the NFL and also became head of the NFL Players Association. He is currently an executive at the financial services firm AXA Equitable, however, until today he has been on leave for 9 months.
Martin, completed a 9 month trek across country today. He started his long "walk about", a total 3003 miles across 13 states, on September 16. The reason; to bring attention to the plight of 9/11 rescue and recovery workers who developed respiratory problems, after working in the dusty ruins of the World Trade Center.
The trip began on the George Washington Bridge in Manhattan to Hackensack, N.J., on his way to a halftime appearance at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands. Martin walked south to Tennessee, west through Texas and across the high plains and desert to California.
Martin, who is 6'5" and 55 years old, walked through brutal weather that included rain, ice and extreme heat, and the trip took five months longer than expected. He lost 40 lbs. and went through 24 pairs of shoes and 80 pairs of socks over this journey. He collected $2 million dollars in cash donations, however, that will be matched dollar to dollar in medical services from Hackensack University Medical Center, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health Systems and Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan.
Along the way, Martin talked to several congressmen about securing funding for 9/11 health care programs and visited schools, firehouses and police stations. He averaged about 22 miles a day and only took 1 side journey in February; Phoenix AZ for the Superbowl to watch his Giants beat the New England Patriots.
That's one Giant that I have to admire. Great job George.
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