New Orleans Saints punter Thomas Morstead helped raise money for the school fund of the children of a sick former team employee.
Morstead did 418 pull-ups in one hour and even helped former Saints employee Chris Cordaro do a few pull-ups to cap his charity move. Morstead aims to help raise $60,000 for Cordado's two children, 7-year-old Ava and 4-year-old Landon. Cordaro is suffering from neuroendocrine carcinoma in the pancreas, liver, bone, spine, scalp, and multiple lymph nodes.
Morstead tells John DeShazier of the Saints' website that Cordaro was diagnosed in 2015. The punter had a chance to meet Cordaro several times, so he visited him in the hospital. Cordaro previously worked for the Saints as sales account executive.
"He had a really bad diagnosis — I think he had two or three months to live, three years ago. Call it what you want; I call it a miracle," said Morstead, who so far exceeded his target, as he raised more than $70,000, based on data from his foundation's website 60forchris.wygwg.org/.
Punter Was Close To Ex-Saints Employee
According to Morstead, he has gotten close with Cordaro, and they had some several "vulnerable conversations." Cordaro went into remission, and Morstead said he has had a few years now with his family to be with them and go on vacation.
Saints owner Gayle Benson, General Manager Mickey Loomis, Coach Sean Payton, and other team officials and teammates visited Morstead while he was doing the pull-ups and checked on Cordaro.
"It means the world," Cordaro says of Morstead's move. "This guy is top-notch. He does so much for so many people. Just to be on his radar means a ton."
Morstead, Cordaro Immediately Hit It Off
According to Cordaro, he hit it off with Morstead in his first or second week with the Saints. Morstead was taken 164th overall by the Saints in the 2009 NFL Draft.
"We hit it off his first week or two after he signed, through sponsorship and helping us out in sponsorship. We had a good interaction," Cordaro said.
Cordaro said he and Morstead have many things in common, like soccer and football. Also, Cordaro's college (Louisiana Tech) and Morstead's SMU played several times in the NCAA.
Aside from being known as one of the fittest punters in the NFL, Morstead is also famous for his charity work through his What You Give Will Grow foundation. One time, Morstead's foundation, which focuses on kids battling cancer, donated more than $220,000 to a children's hospital in Minneapolis.
In 16 games last season, Morstead had 60 punts, averaging 47 per punt. Morstead is also a picture of durability as he played in all, but two of the Saints' regular-season games since the 2009 season.
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