A season ago New York Jets punter Ryan Quigley made just over $400,000 in his NFL rookie season. Now the punter has raised $10,000 for charity after Michael Vick purchased the number from him.
Quigley will not be keeping the money, instead he will turn it over to Teen Angel of North Myrtle Beach, a homeless program in his hometown, and the Boys and Girls Club of New York.
“Ten thousand dollars is a lot of money, especially for a guy like me early in my career. For a second, I thought that, but then I thought that I can do some good with it. You can give back in so many ways and money is one way,” Quigley said via Yahoo Sports.
“It was one of those things – I talked with my mom and my agent. I didn’t even second-guess it. It felt right. It came out of nowhere. Originally Vick chose the No. 8. We talked before that he might want my number and I listened to it. Then he chose No. 8 and I had this idea in my head from the first time we talked two weeks ago. I had this idea of giving back and using this money for good. Then he comes back and I thought it was all over with. He said he really wanted that number.”
“When I presented him with the idea of the money not going to myself but giving back to my hometown and half to the New York area, it was an easy decision for me, it really was.”
“Ten thousand dollars is a lot of money,” Quigley said. “I hope it helps a lot of people.”
Quigley will make $495,000 during the 2014 season. Vick’s one-year deal with the Jets calls for him to make $5 million.
