15 Recent Inspirational Sports Star Stories

Muhammad Ali was truly the greatest, not just in the boxing ring but out of it as well.

Ali dedicated his life to serving others—his charitable and philanthropic efforts were substantial and ongoing. The three-time heavyweight champion famously said, "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth," per USA Today.

In sports, the focus is often on the game itself, naturally. Fans and pundits alike spend vast amounts of time picking apart the strategy and performance of athletes and teams.

Today, let's instead take a moment to focus on the good work being done outside the games themselves. Some of the biggest names in sports have recently gone above and beyond to serve their communities, donate to charitable causes and support those in need.

Certainly, there are more than 15 examples, so simply consider these as inspiration—inspiration to spread the word about service like Ali did all his life.

Marshawn Lynch and Cliff Avril Build a School in Haiti

Former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has been busy in retirement. In March, he helped coach at a football camp during an American Football Without Barriers trip to Egypt.

In April, Beast Mode joined Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril, Detroit Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle Gosder Cherilus in Haiti where they assisted in rebuilding an elementary school and helped with a mobile medical clinic and a football camp.

Avril is of Haitian descent and expressed a desire to contribute to the community there.

He said, per Seahawks.com, "I just think it's the right timing for me and my family and my kids. I want to them to understand and appreciate the things we have here, but also to learn to give back, and also understand where their grandparents and great grandparents came from."

Jim Harbaugh Invites Young Fan to Michigan Game

It's probably not easy for Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh to make friends in Ohio, but there is an exception in the Fitzsimmons family.

While in Ohio for a football camp in June, Harbaugh took time out for six-year-old Barrett Fitzsimmons, a Michigan fan who was recently diagnosed with liver cancer.

On the same day Fitzsimmons started chemotherapy, Harbaugh filmed a video message for him, promising gifts and inviting him to a Michigan football game.

Per David Jablonski of the Dayton Daily News, Harbaugh said, "I want you to have my hat, my whistle and my shirt. And I want you to come to a game in Ann Arbor this fall. ... You just keep fighting and smiling, and the good Lord will taking a liking to you, buddy. Come see us in Ann Arbor, and I look very forward to meeting you."

Barrett's father Brad said, "I was just overwhelmed. I couldn't believe he would take the time to do that, let alone give him the shirt off his back, literally," per Jablonski.

Rory McIlroy Donates Winnings from Home Open

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Rory McIlroy won the Irish Open for the first time in May, hitting two incredible shots late in the final round to help him capture his home event.

Afterward, he said, "I don't really get emotional when I win, but I was holding back the tears there. To play like that and finish like that, with all of my friends and family watching was just so special," according to CNN.com.

In a touching act of kindness, McIlroy also chose to donate his entire tournament winnings—about $750,000—to his charity, the Rory Foundation, which aims to have a positive impact on the lives of children. 

The foundation hosted the tournament and raised over $1 million throughout the weekend.

Bryce Harper's Generosity

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Washington Nationals slugger Bryce Harper is a polarizing figure, but two recent stories suggest he is also a generous person.

In May, the Nationals visited Chicago for a series against the Cubs. A part-time Cubs employee posted a message to Facebook about something she witnessed near the Nationals team bus.

According to the employee's post (via Scott Allen of the Washington Post), Harper got off the bus and gave a "glass jar full of money" to a homeless woman. The Cubs employee wrote, "That woman's face lit up so brightly and she couldn't believe it!"

The Washington Post's Chelsea Janes confirmed the story.

Not long after, Harper helped brighten the day for a young Nats fan at Citi Field in New York. The fan caught a flying bat courtesy of Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos but was asked by security to return it. In response, Harper gave the fan one of his own, game-ready bats. 

(That was also the same game Nats pitcher Max Scherzer played catch with a New York Mets fan in the stands—awesome.) 

Draymond Green Supports the Bay Area

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green may be fiery on the basketball court, but he is a gentle giant off it.

In May, Green was awarded the Alvin Attles Community Impact Award "in recognition of his efforts to make a positive impact on the lives of underserved youth in the Bay Area" according to a statement from NBA.com.

In just the 2015-16 NBA season alone, Green has partnered with the Oakland Marriott to provide a Thanksgiving meal for families, made and distributed bag lunches, taken children from a homeless shelter on a holiday shopping spree and hosted a young boy undergoing chemotherapy for a Warriors game.

Green also participated in the #LeanInTogether campaign to support gender equality.

According to the statement, Green said, "It's an honor to be given this recognition for my commitment to serving Bay Area youth and families this season and throughout my four years with the team."

Serena Williams Helping Schools

In February, Serena Williams helped build the Salt Marsh Primary School in Trelawny, Jamaica.

According to the Jamaica Star, the tennis star's foundation partnered with Helping Hands Jamaica to make the project possible, and Williams herself participated in the construction—literally, hard hat and all.

Jamaican track athletes Yohan Blake and Warren Weir were part of the volunteer team as well.

In March, Rose Minutaglio of People reported Williams was one of 50 celebrities to donate money to DonorsChoose.org, an organization that helps provide supplies for teachers. A total of $12 million was raised as part of the flash-funding effort.

According to Minutaglio, Williams' planned donation included supplies and tennis balls for the Compton, California, area.

Cam Newton Makes Dreams Come True

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has been busy in the offseason.

Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Newton met Noah, an 11-year-old boy with Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome. Noah's wish was to meet Newton, and the two were able to spend time together at a bowling alley and basketball game.

Newton also filmed a Nickelodeon show called All in with Cam Newton during the offseason. In the show, the QB introduces young people to mentors who can help them achieve their goals. 

Newton talked about the show with Alysha Tsuji of For the Win and said, "It allows me to become a better person."

Of his busy offseason, Newton also said, "Oftentimes it's healthy for people to try to get away, but while I'm relevant, I want to maximize my words to giving back," per Tsuji.

Papi Bonds with Young Fans

Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz is making his final MLB season count in more ways than one.

In April, he and former teammate Kevin Millar made a video for a young fan, then-five-year-old (now six) Maverick Schutte, who has a congenital heart defect. In an unscripted moment of the video, Ortiz promised to hit a home run during that night's game against the New York Yankees.

Then he did, because of course he did.

A few weeks later, Schutte traveled from Wyoming to Boston with his family and threw out a first pitch at Fenway Park.

Ortiz also bonded with eight-year-old David Moss. According to Chris Landers of Cut4, David's father Andy Moss promised to take his son to Fenway but died of cancer before they could make the trip. 

David went with his mother and sister instead, attended batting practice with Ortiz and even got a home run bat from Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez to boot. 

Cristiano Ronaldo Donates Champions League Bonus

Andrew Medichini/Associated Press

Say what you will about Cristiano Ronaldo—the Portuguese footballer is a generous guy. In 2015, Dosomething.org named him the most charitable athlete in the world.

So it's not overly surprising that after his club Real Madrid won the UEFA Champions League in May, Ronaldo spent time taking photos with fans.

Not only that, but he put his bonus check toward a good cause. Spanish journalist Pipi Estrada reported (via the Irish Independent) Ronaldo donated the entire amount of his Champions League win bonus—around €600,000 or $681,000—to an NGO charity.

Ronaldo led all Champions League scorers with 16 goals in the 2015-16 season.

Steve Smith Goes to Prom

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Spring is prom season at high schools across America, and though his teen years are behind him, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith attended the high school rite of passage in April.

Smith invited Aubrey Bridges, an 18-year-old girl with autism and a rare disorder called vein of Galen Malformation, to accompany him to her prom at North Gaston High School in North Carolina. According to WBTV, Bridges had seen footage of Smith dancing and figured he'd be a good date.

Brandon Lindsey, founder of Dream On 3 (the organization that helped set up the date), told WBTV, "He was in from the beginning, just because he wanted to be. He was fantastic."

Smith gave Aubrey diamond earrings and a necklace for the occasion, and she was elected prom queen.

Smith told WBTV, "The student body voting her to be prom queen shows exactly how much respect she has from them. This community has challenged her. They've pushed her. She has rose to the occasion."

So Does Cameron Erving

Elna Wright was elected homecoming queen during her senior year at Elyria High School in Ohio. Nonverbal and wheelchair-bound, Wright has a disorder called Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia.

Her boyfriend Cody died before prom, and Wright's parents put a call out on social media to see if any Cleveland athletes would like to be her date.

Cameron Erving, offensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns, responded. Wright's mother, Ingrid, told Patrick Maks of ClevelandBrowns.com, "She loves the Browns. She was on top of the world, on Cloud 9. She was overwhelmed, she was so excited."

Erving provided a limo and got a tux for the occasion. Later, he said, per Maks, "They may remember what happens on the field, but people are always going to remember what you do off the field. And I want to be remembered as someone who cares about people genuinely. And that's all that matters to me."

Minnesota Wild, Other NHL Teams Support Wildfire Victims

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Athletes often come together in times of turmoil—members of the Detroit Lions and others donated bottled water to residents of Flint, Michigan, in January, for instance.

When wildfire began to scorch through Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada, in May, members of the Minnesota Wild banded together to help. Erik Haula, Zach Parise, Jason Pominville, Nate Prosser, Jared Spurgeon and Jason Zucker signed autographs to raise money, and the team donated an additional $5,000 to the Red Cross.

According to a statement from the Wild, Spurgeon's wife Danielle is from the area, and her parents lost their home to the fire.

Parise said, "You see across the league a lot of players have family or know someone that's there and also been affected by it. But it's a pretty unique community where you play hard against each other on the ice but at the end of the day you're all friends," per CBS Minnesota.

Josh Cooper of Puck Daddy outlined relief efforts by several other NHL franchises including the St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks. 

Johnny Gaudreau FaceTimes a Young Fan

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Many NHL players also made personal efforts in the wake of the Fort McMurray wildfires, including Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau. 

According to Josh Cooper of Puck Daddy, Gaudreau FaceTimed with a young fan, Liam, whose family lost its home. Along with it, Liam lost several hockey-related items including an autographed Wayne Gretzky card.

Per Cooper, Liam's mother Sabrina called the Flames to inquire about upcoming autograph events where Liam might meet Gaudreau, and that's when the team helped organize the call.

Sabrina said, per Cooper, "When we had talked about it, we gave him the heads up to talk to Johnny. He almost cried because he was so nervous."

The Flames also sent Liam some swag, including a hat, picture, and puck autographed by Gaudreau and a No. 13 T-shirt.   

Houston Sports Support Flood Victims

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As Houston dealt with historic rainfall in April, 1,000 homes were flooded and at least seven people died.

The athletic community in the area rallied. About 30 Houston Texans players volunteered at the M.O. Campbell Center in Aldine, Texas, where displaced families gathered.

According to Drew Dougherty of Texans TV, defensive end J.J. Watt said, "Today we just want to help you guys rebuild, and go through the process with you. We want you to know you're not alone."

Houston Rockets owner Les Alexander reportedly donated $500,000 to the relief efforts, and University of Houston football players supplied cases of bottled water.

In June, flooding returned to the Houston area. Information on Red Cross shelters can be found here.

Support for Craig Sager

Paul Beaty/Associated Press

Craig Sager's experience with cancer has inspired many throughout the sports world.

Reporters donned colorful outfits in honor of the longtime TNT analyst after news broke that his leukemia had returned.

Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat collaborated with The Tie Bar on a special collection of neckties to support the SAGERSTRONG Foundation and cancer research and education. Houston Rockets big man Dwight Howard organized a blood drive in Sager's honor.

Sager's attitude remains inspiring as well. He told Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated in April, "Am I naive? Maybe. Am I in denial? No. I know the severity. But I have faith. I have support. I have hope. Hope is as important as breath."