By Kim Donahue

A commitment to the community is a strong inclination for many NFL players, both current and retired alike. Players often choose to make a difference on and off the field through active participation in various non-profit organizations that improve the lives of people with disabilities according to Disaboom.com, the largest online community for people with disabilities. The NFL's leading philanthropic MVPs, profiled below, are not only great athletes, but also great assets to the community.

Dan Marino, former Miami Dolphins quarterback, continues to hold or has held every major NFL passing record at one point in time. A current Hall of Famer, Marino led the Dolphins to many playoff appearances throughout his 16 year career. Off the field, Marino established The Dan Marino Foundation in 1992 to support medical research, treatment, and outreach programs for children with chronic illnesses and developmental disabilities. To date, the foundation has generated more than $22 million for these causes, and as a result of his continuing efforts, Marino was awarded the "Walter Peyton Man of the Year Award." Programs that have been supported by and enriched through The Dan Marino Foundation include the Marino Autism Research Institute, Miami Children's Hospital Dan Marino Center, Childnett TV, and Marino Swim Central Adaptive Aquatics Certification. To learn more about the Dan Marino Foundation, visit http://www.danmarinofoundation.org/index.html.

Will Shields is a former Kansas City Chiefs offensive guard. He was selected to participate in the Pro Bowl 12 consecutive times, and currently holds the NFL's second longest consecutive starting streak totaling 230 games. In 1993, Shields established the Will to Succeed Foundation, an organization that devotes time, talents and initiatives to organizations that help disadvantaged children. While many groups benefit from the work of Shields and the Will to Succeed Foundation, his work to improve the lives of those touched by disability includes collaboration with First Down For Downs Syndrome, the Kansas Special Olympics, and America's Promise. Shields has also been a recipient of the "Walter Payton Man of the Year Award" for his tireless charity work. Learn more about the Will to Succeed Foundation by visiting http://www.willtosucceed.org/index.htm.

Troy Aikman, a former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, is considered to be one of the best NFL quarterbacks of all time, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006. In 1992, Aikman established the Troy Aikman Foundation to help underprivileged children with physical, psychological, social and educational needs and expenses. In 1995, the focus of the foundation shifted to implementing initiatives to improve the lives of children in hospitals. Through a partnership with the Starbright Foundation, an organization chaired by Steven Spielberg, Aikman developed Aikman's End Zones, a series of interactive playrooms that are to be installed in children's hospitals in every NFL city. These playrooms provide a "three-dimensional, multi-user, animated play space" that connects children in hospitals from around the country via an online network, allowing them to interact with one another and meet new friends. Aikman even installed an End Zone in his own home in order to interact with hospital-bound children around the country. Visit the Troy Aikman Foundation online at http://hometown.aol.com/bluekate/index.html.

Current Green Bay Packers star quarterback Brett Favre is the only three-time Associated Press MVP in NFL history and has led the Packers to two Super Bowls. In his 17 seasons in the NFL, Favre has set a variety of records including most career victories as a starting quarterback (160), most consecutive starts among NFL quarterbacks (275), and most career touchdown passes (442). In 1996, he established the Brett Favre Forward Foundation, an organization designed to provide aid to disadvantaged and disabled children in Wisconsin and Mississippi. Other initiatives he supports through time and monetary donations are the Special Olympics, Make-A-Wish, the Young Artists Workshop, a summer arts enrichment program for youth with disabilities, UW-Whitewater athletic program for athletes in wheelchairs and Gaits to Success, a therapeutic horsemanship program for the mentally disabled. Favre is also an avid supporter of the Starbright Foundation, the same organization that has helped to establish Aikman's End Zones in children's hospitals nationwide.

These NFL athletes above comprise a small population of the NFL players that tirelessly give back to those touched by disabilities. These players have proven themselves to be leaders inside the lines as well as in the call for additional research and resources to help the disabled community.

For more information on current and past NFL athletes and their contributions to those with disabilities, visit the newly expanded Disaboom.com Sports and Recreation section at http://www.disaboom.com. The site features new Super Bowl articles as well as video interviews with Nick and Marc Buoniconti, a NFL Hall of Famer and his son, who was paralyzed in a 1985 football injury.