SEATTLE'S MORNING NEWS

NFL player donates first game check to lucky stadium employees

Sep 29, 2017, 9:15 AM | Updated: Oct 1, 2024, 10:30 am

Deshaun Watson. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)...

Deshaun Watson. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

(AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Houston Texans rookie Deshaun Watson did something unexpected with his first game check — he gave it away.

CBS estimates it would be about $27,000. CBS reports Watson gave it to three employees at the stadium. As we all know, parts of Houston were destroyed by Hurricane Harvey, and Watson found out that those three employees were especially affected by the flooding.

So, he split his first game check three ways and surprised the three women at work. The video of the gift was posted online.

“What y’all do for us every day and never complain … I really appreciate y’all. So, I wanted to give my first game check to y’all to help y’all out in some type of way so here you guys go,” Watson said.

I’m not sure if the women knew it was coming or if being handed a check by a large NFL player is so stunning you’re rendered motionless, but they were very taken aback. One woman asked to give him a hug. He obliged.

“I hope it helps you get you back on your feet. And anything else y’all need I’m always here to help,” Watson told them.

I’m glad some NFL players don’t “just stick to sports.” We wouldn’t have these powerful moments otherwise. And, as it turns out, Watson knows a lot about the impact of kindness. According to ESPN, Habitat for Humanity at one point built a house for Watson and his family.

You can hear Colleen O’Brien’s “Daily Dose of Kindness” segment every morning at 7:30 a.m. on KIRO Radio 97.3 FM

Please follow our Community Guidelines

From left, U.S. Senate candidates Shenna Bellows, Troy Jackson, Dr. Nirav Shah, and Jordan Wood pre...

Associated Press

Maine Democrats are meeting to pick a new Senate nominee to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins

BANGOR, Maine (AP) — Maine Democrats on Saturday will choose a new U.S. Senate nominee to face longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a contest that could decide control of the Senate, after Graham Platner dropped out of the race following an allegation of sexual assault. Support has coalesced around former state Senate President Troy […]

44 minutes ago

A helicopter drops water on the Akawa Butte fire on Friday, July 24, 2026, near Sisters, Ore. (AP P...

Associated Press

Oregon firefighters brace for windy and hot weather as they battle dozens of blazes

BEND, Ore. (AP) — Firefighters battling two of the largest blazes burning in Oregon were bracing for windy and dry conditions forecast to arrive in some areas of the state Friday and into Saturday. Crews have been able to build some containment lines around the Akawa Butte Fire, which is burning near Sisters, a town […]

1 hour ago

Law enforcement officials gather to investigate a fatal house fire on Friday, July 24, 2026, in Gra...

Associated Press

8 found dead in Michigan home after fire, some with gunshot wounds

Eight people, including six children, were found dead in a Michigan home after a fire, some with gunshot wounds, law enforcement said Friday. Police and fire authorities responded just before noon to a house fire in Grand Haven Township, on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. When they went inside, they found the bodies, Capt. […]

2 hours ago

pho restaurant...

MyNorthwest Staff

Beloved pho restaurant closing on Bainbridge Island after nearly 20 years

A pho restaurant that has served the Bainbridge Island community for nearly two decades is closing its doors as its owner has decided to retire.

4 hours ago

whatcom county...

KIRO 7 News Staff

Whatcom County man found to have died from a blow to the head

Cole Hilton was found unconscious with a blow to the head on the side of the road in Whatcom County.

4 hours ago

FILE - Turbines are visible at Sunrise Wind offshore wind farm that is under construction off the c...

Associated Press

Trump administration admits grants for clean energy were canceled based on politics

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has acknowledged in canceled $7.6 billion in grants for hundreds of clean energy projects “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state” — in this case, 16 states that voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. The statement contradicts repeated assertions by Energy […]

5 hours ago

NFL player donates first game check to lucky stadium employees