Linsley’s Work with CASA Merits Walter Payton Man of Year Nomination
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The slogan of Corey Linsley’s hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, is “The City of You.”
As in, “You can stand out. You can make a difference.”
After a flag football game featuring the wives of Green Bay Packers players and benefitting the American Cancer Society in October 2016, a woman struck up a conversation with Linsley.
“A woman approached me and I was kind of thrown, and then she said she had Youngstown ties, Youngstown connections,” Linsley recalled on Thursday. “Immediately, my eyes lit up and I was like, ‘All right, cool. Somebody has Youngstown ties in Green Bay.’”
That somebody was Kristin Jacobs, the executive director of CASA of Brown County. Court Appointed Special Advocates is a volunteer-based, nonprofit organization that provides a voice for abused and neglected children who are under the legal protection of the court system.
Jacobs wanted to know if Linsley and his wife, Anna, were interested in learning more about CASA. The Linsleys did more than learn. They jumped into CASA with all their hearts. They have stood out and they have made a difference. Because of it, Linsley on Thursday was named the Packers’ nominee for the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which honors excellence on and off the field.
CASA recruits, trains and supports volunteers to advocate on behalf of children under court protection until they are safe and thriving in permanent homes. CASA volunteers visit the child regularly and submit a monthly report to the judge on the child’s safety and well-being to help the judge make important decisions on the child’s future.
“Their tagline that they always preach is they’re the voice for the child,” Linsley said. “As an advocate, you go into the home or school or some setting (of) a child or children that are placed into child protective services program. You’re basically acting as not only their mentor but also a friend, a person, an adult, a trustworthy individual that they can count on, someone to talk to and someone to hang out with.”
Before becoming advocates, the Linsleys had to go through 36 hours of training. They took a couple classes and spoke to CASA members, social workers and children who had been in protective services and benefitted from CASA.
It was an eye-opening experience for Linsley, who said he didn’t even know the role of a social worker.
“It was life-changing for sure,” he said. “In our case, we did crafts. We carved pumpkins, did a lot of activity with the kids, and it just meant so much to not only them but also the guardian that they were with at the time. They’re just kids. They don’t know what’s going on. They’re just living their lives and trying to make the best of the situation. It’s inspiring to see the way that they react and handle things.”
Professional athletes are tugged in many directions. It can be easy to say “no” to every request, simply write a check or perhaps show up for a fundraiser or photo op.
The Linsleys, however, have embraced the opportunity to make a difference. Linsley credited the offensive linemen who preceded him, such as Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang and Bryan Bulaga.
“There’s been a ton of great people off the field that have come through this locker room that have kind of set the standard. I’m just trying my best to fall in line and carry that standard,” Linsley said.
“If you’re interested in joining, I would highly recommend at least going through the training, because it will open your eyes, and it’s hard to back out of it once you see how big of a difference you can make.”
The nominee from each team will receive a donation of $40,000 in their name to their charity of choice. The winner will receive a $250,000 donation to the charity of their choice.
“The donation is huge,” Linsley said. “Money doesn’t grow on trees. CASA. they’re not like flush with cash, so any help that they can get is tremendous. Thank you to the Packers for nominating me and thank you to everyone else who donated either their time or money.”
