Tennessee’s David Sanders Jr. donates $20,000 in equipment to high school football program

Tennessee football’s David Sanders Jr. put a portion of his NIL earnings to good use by giving $20,000 to his alma mater’s football program last week, using a partnership with XTech Pads to donate equipment and shoulder pads to the Providence Day School football program. “Having the opportunity to give back to my alma mater has been a dream come true,” Sanders told On3. “Giving back to a place that I hold dear to my heart means everything to me.” Sanders was a Five-Star Plus+ prospect out of Providence Day School in Charlotte, N.C. in the 2025 recruiting class. He was the No. 9 overall prospect in the Rivals Industry Ranking. He was the No. 2 offensive tackle in the country and the No. 1 player in the state of North Carolina. David Sanders Jr. voted preseason All-SEC He missed the first four games of his freshman season at Tennessee, but ended the year as an On3 True Freshman All-American at right tackle for the Vols. He was one of four Tennessee players picked to the Preseason All-SEC teams at SEC Media Days in July. Sanders, running back DeSean Bishop, offensive lineman Wendell Moe Jr. and linebacker Arion Carter all being voted third-team All-SEC. The relationship between Sanders and XTech Pads dates back to his senior year of high school. “David Sanders reaching out to see how he can help Providence Day is exactly what our Cover-2 Program is all about,” XTech Pads president Bob Broderick told On3 in a statement. “Our staff had the chance to meet David and his family during his senior year during a fitting at his home. “It’s great to see a young man in his position looking to give back to his High School and former coach. We wish David the best of luck in Knoxville.” ‘I wanted to take some initiative and help them out’ Sanders isn’t the only Tennessee football player to donate NIL money this summer. Linebacker Brayden Rouse purchased and donated new practice jerseys for the Etowah Youth Football and Cheer League in Georgia in June after it was unable to provide the youth football players with practice jerseys for the upcoming season due to budget constraints. Rouse committed to using NIL money to buy every player in the program a practice jersey that would be theirs to keep. In total, Rouse committed to buying 115 practice jerseys for the Etowah Youth program. The league features elementary school-aged students starting in Kindergarten and going through the fifth grade. One of the players impacted by the news was fifth grader Cannon Pack, Rouse’s younger brother. Rouse’s dad, Chris Pack, attended a meeting discussing the budget constraints and called his son to discuss the need. “I instantly knew, if I put myself in their shoes, I would be super sad as a kid who is trying to figure out the game, then I realize we don’t have practice jerseys,” Rouse told Volquest’s Matt Ray. “I would be very sad, so I felt for them, and I wanted to take some initiative and help them out because I love the program, and I love the community.”