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Kansas City Chief and TeamSmile Contributor Dustin Colquitt Announced as Walter Peyton NFL Man of the Year Nominee

Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Since the inception of TeamSmile in 2007, Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt has been involved. He’s contributed a tremendous amount of time, passion and financial resources to help serve the at-risk children through TeamSmile. On December 6, it was announced that Dustin Colquitt was selected as the Kansas City Chiefs nominee for the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, presented by Nationwide, primarily for his work with TeamSmile.

“We’re taught to love and serve. Love others is the biggest thing I can say. So how do you do that? You do that with the resources that God gave you. It can be treasure. It can be time. Just talking to people. Anything like that,” said Colquitt. “At TeamSmile, we have these kids come in and they’re wrapping their gums around their teeth, don’t really want to talk to you. Then you clean it up, you turn the mirror around and they’re like, ‘Oh my.’ You just see this confidence that they’ve never seen in their lives. You see their parents. They’re not coming up to their kids because they’re happy that their teeth are clean. They’re saying, this is not my kid. He’s got his chest pumped out. It changes them from day one. If their mouth is healthy, their whole body is going to be healthier.”

The mission of TeamSmile (www.teamsmile.org) is to provide free dental care and oral health education to underserved children and to use the power of sports to provide a special lifetime experience to these children. To date, TeamSmile has now served over 30,000 children, provided over $17 million in free dental care and oral health education and conducted over 160 programs nationwide. The first program was started with the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in 2007. The 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization was founded by Kansas City dentist, Dr. Bill Busch, along with Jason Krause from Henry Schein. Dustin Colquitt attended the very first program, and has been involved ever since. Today, Dustin is a member of the Board of Directors of TeamSmile and has been engaged in various capacities.

What they’re saying about Dustin Colquitt’s nomination for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award:

Clark Hunt, Chairman and CEO, Kansas City Chiefs: “We are incredibly proud of Dustin Colquitt representing the Chiefs organization as our nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year. As a player Dustin has been among the best at his position for the entirety of his career. As a teammate his loyalty to the Chiefs organization is unparalleled, and his character and charisma make him an invaluable leader of the team. None of those attributes, however, equal Dustin’s commitment to the Kansas City Community. Through his leadership at TeamSmile and his involvement with Fuel Up to Play 60, Athletes in Action and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Dustin has shown tremendous dedication to improve the lives of youth in Kansas City, and we believe he is a worthy candidate for one of the most prestigious honors in sports.”

Coach Dave Toub, Assistant Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs: “It’s not surprising at all. He’s a great character guy. He’s a family man. He’s a man of faith. He does everything right off the field as well on as on the field. It doesn’t surprise me at all that he was named Man of the Year by our team.”

Dr. Bill Busch, Co-Founder, TeamSmile: “I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. After the incredible amount of time and passion – as well as his personal financial resources – that Dustin has put into TeamSmile, I am thrilled that he has been nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. With his family pedigree in dentistry, along with his personal character and the values that he lives……well, we have been incredibly fortunate to have Dustin Colquitt involved with TeamSmile. He’s such a special person, and we are truly honored that Dustin has chosen to spend so much time with TeamSmile. It’s a special day for him, and it’s a special day for TeamSmile.”

John McCarthy, Executive Director, TeamSmile: “Dustin Colquitt is one of the special ones. Through TeamSmile, Dustin has, literally, impacted thousands of children. It’s been awesome to watch his impact up close. He’s given his time, his passion and his treasure to TeamSmile. People often talk about character, values and morals. Dustin Colquitt LIVES those words. We are so fortunate to have him involved with TeamSmile, and I congratulate him on being nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.” 

 







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