Former Auburn wide receiver Sammie Coates is known for his exceptional athletic performance in football, with 82 catches for 1,757 yards since he joined the Auburn Tigers.
But he is not just an athlete. When he's not busy catching down field passes and leading the Tigers to victory, he chooses to spend his time where his heart is. His efforts are not being over-looked, as he won the Uplifting Athlete's 2015 Rare Disease Champion Award.
This award is presented to athletes who possess exceptional skill on field, and have a special story connected to a rare disease.
Coates's connection is Kenzie Ray, who is battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia. After a home win against Mississippi State in 2013, Coates happened to run into her while leaving the field. The two hit it off and since that day, they have been best friends, or as Coates calls her, "little sis."
According to the Uplifting Athlete's website, the award was inspired by Mark Herzlich, a linebacker at Boston College who was diagnosed with a rare type of bone cancer. Herzlich faced five months of treatment and battled successfully, returning to football and signing with the New York giants following his college career.
Director of external relations and communications for Uplifting Athletes, Andy Shay believes that this award helps to connect the college football community with those surviving a rare disease.
"You can tell by listening to him talk...this means more to him than just supporting a little girl with cancer," Shay said. "And for such a high-profile athlete...that's the kind of story that moves people."
Coates is the seventh athlete to win this award, which will be presented at the Maxwell Club Awards Gala on March 13 in Atlantic City.
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