Giants Star Brian Burns Opens Up on the Heartfelt Family Inspiration Behind His 'Spidagame' Project

If there’s one thing in life that lights up New York Giants outside linebacker Brian Burns’ face even more than sacking a quarterback, it’s his young nephew, Champ.

Champ, seven years old, is the son of Burns’ older brother Stanley McClover, Jr., a former NFL defensive end for the Carolina Panthers whose career was cut short by a knee injury.

The little boy was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), a broad range of conditions that create challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication.

According to his beaming uncle, who will host the first annual Brian Burns Celebrity Softball Game on Saturday, May 30, in Pomona, New York, to raise funds and awareness of ASD, Champ is, well, truly a little champion.

“Yeah, he has no fear of nothing,” Burns told the Locked On Giants podcast, his voice dripping with pride.

“He’s really amazing. His smile–I can't really speak with him because we have that little barrier right now, but he knows exactly what I'm saying, and he knows his uncle loves him and his daddy loves him.”

Inspiration Behind 'Spidagame'

When Burns first interacted with his nephew and saw the challenges the little boy was facing, as well as the effect his struggles had on the family, He decided to make autism awareness one of his platforms.

“Being around Champ and seeing the difficulties that come with autism, especially him being nonverbal, that kind of pushed me to get this word out there,” Burns said.

“There were so many other families that we came in touch with that were dealing with the same issues, but nobody knew what to do.

“So kind of having that support group and, and having that little community that we have so far is, you know, been getting a lot of people through tough times.”

Bringing Autism Awareness to Light

Oct 26, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) looks on in the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

When he’s not patrolling the football gridiron, Burns is actively involved in various philanthropic initiatives as part of the Brian Burns Family Charities, one of which is The Hype 4 Life Foundation, which is dedicated to raising awareness about ASD.

He and his family work tirelessly to provide emotional and financial support to families who have a loved one diagnosed with ASD, which, according to a 2025 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has affected one in 31 children in the United States.

“People never know what's really going on until it hits you or your family,” Burns said of ASD.

“I feel like there needs to be a major awareness level on autism because there are a lot of families out here dealing with it, but they don't have the knowledge on how to deal with it in the best way.

“I really think that just spreading a little awareness and getting the word out can be great for a lot of families.”

In addition to the softball game, the Hype 4 Life Foundation is hosting an Autism Dads Getaway Weekend on Friday, July 24, at the Westin Atlanta Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, where participants can pamper themselves while gaining support from one another through counseling sessions and workshops.

A Night of Family Fun and Awareness

Burns, along with event organizer Joe “License Plate Guy” Ruback, isn’t just lending his name to the event.

He’s also been very involved in the planning of the softball game, dubbed the “Spidagame” after his nickname, “Spider-Man,” his favorite childhood superhero.

“It's gonna be pretty interactive,” he said of the event, which is expected to have over 100 current and former Giants take part, the current players siding on Team Burns and the legacy players on Team Jacobs, led by former Giants running back Brandon Jacobs.

The event begins at 11 a.m. when parking lots open. Fans will be admitted to Clover Stadium starting at 2 p.m.

They will then be treated to a dodgeball game between the two teams starting at 5 p.m., followed by a home-run derby at 6 p.m. and then the softball game at 7 p.m.

Fans will also be able to get autographs and photos of their favorite Giants, past and present, and be able to visit with various vendors who will be set up on the stadium concourse level.

“I'm bringing out some special vendors for the kids and for the families coming out there. So I'm just really trying to make it super family-friendly.," Burns said of how he's adding his own special touch to the event.

“But other than that, we're really just trying to push out the message of autism and trying to really push that out and get that out to the masses. It’s gonna be a fun day, but it's gonna have a deeper meaning to it.”

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