Arizona State football standout volunteers on Christmas

SACRAMENTO. — Since Arizona State football wide receiver standout Elijhah Badger was a kid, his family and him have had a Christmas tradition. For a lot of people, Christmas is a time of family, gift-giving, faith, and more. And while I’m sure a lot of those apply to the Badger family too, they have something deeper at heart.

Elijhah Badger of Arizona State football volunteers on Christmas

This Christmas day, Elijhah Badger and his family prepared and distributed nearly 100 homemade meals to homeless individuals in Badger’s hometown of Sacramento. The Badger family not only provided meals on this special day but also blankets and socks to stay warm.

Since he was a young kid, Elijhah Badger has cared for the homeless on #Christmas. This year he & his family prepared homemade meals & bought blankets & socks for nearly 100 people. The #portal & #NIL make the headlines, but this work right here is so inspiring. pic.twitter.com/CpWAsK5r6V

— John Waller (@JohnpWaller) December 26, 2023

Every meal was not only stocked with chicken and green beans but Oreos as well for a sweet dessert. Something everyone deserves on the holidays after all.

With more and more money becoming available to student-athletes thanks to NIL, more charitable events are happening. While at Oklahoma, QB Nick Evers donated 100% of the proceeds from his first NIL deal to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Iowa offensive lineman Tyler Linderbaum donated $30k to the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Michigan running back Blake Corum passed out Turkeys on Thanksgiving. Those are just a few examples.

While NIL makes more events possible like this around the country, Badger has been doing this for years. Going back to a young child, Badger and his family have always taken care of the homeless on Christmas in some capacity.

Badger is not only a playmaker on the field, he’s a playmaker off it too.

Thank you for reading Sun Devil Daily! Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date with Arizona State news! For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Managing Editor at [email protected]. Also, make sure to check out the Sun Devil Daily shop for merchandise! Forks up!