On Wednesday, the Washington Commanders took a break from offseason practice. The time off allowed the 2024 rookie class to get involved in the community.
Washington owner Josh Harris’s wife, Marjorie, led a Day of Service for the team that included three stops in D.C. Harris was joined by team president Jason Wright, some franchise legends and the entire rookie class for the final stop of the day at Rocketship Rise Academy Public Charter School.
As expected, the kids were excited to see quarterback Jayden Daniels. But all of Washington’s rookies were a hit. Players played pitch and catch with the kids, chatted with them, and helped paint birdhouses.
The opportunity to interact with the community wasn’t lost on Washington’s rookies.
“This is incredible,” wide receiver Luke McCaffrey said. “This is kind of the rookie’s first opportunity to really dive into the community. For the guys that aren’t from here, this is our new home. This is kind of the place we’re going to take pride in, and it’s special to be able to connect with that.”
The Commanders rookies ready to make an impact on the field.
Today, they made an impact in our community.@mccaffrey_luke said, "this is our new home, this is kind of the place we're going to take pride in and it's special to be able to connect with that."
Love hearing that! pic.twitter.com/Jbhh4MBYL5
— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) May 30, 2024
Great answer from McCaffrey.
Cornerback Mike Sainristil agreed with McCaffrey.
“I love it,” he said. “The kids, it’s always a fun time to be around the kids, especially being able to do events and just show them what it feels like……to be with us.”
Sainristil acknowledged what it would have been like for him as a kid to meet NFL players, and he understood how special it was for these kids.
It was great to see the Commanders rookies out in the community today.@MikeSainristil said, "its definitely a very intimate moment being here with these kids."
A lot of smiles today in Southeast D.C. pic.twitter.com/FXPMfpoAh5
— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) May 29, 2024
Tight end Ben Sinnott grew up in Iowa, which didn’t have a pro sports team, so understood how special this opportunity was for the rookies and the kids.
“This is the kind of stuff that makes it all worth it,” Sinnott said. “We put in all that hard work and just to be able to give back and get in the community and do something good for people who need it. It’s super-important for me and as a rookie class.”
Being involved in the community is critical for NFL players. Wednesday was an important day for Washington’s rookie class, and it wasn’t lost on them.