For Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter, using his platform to benefit the community is passing on what was given to him in his youth.
In a December interview, Ledbetter said, “My guiding principle is essentially, ‘It takes a village.’ I aspired to be that village for children who grew up in circumstances similar to mine, children who need guidance, and children who will inevitably encounter life’s challenges. That was my primary intention.”
Ledbetter’s work in his community has led to him being named the Cardinals’ nominee for the 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. Ledbetter is one of 32 players vying for the league’s most prestigious distinction, the winner of which will be announced during NFL Honors — the prime-time special that will air nationally on CBS and NFL Network at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 8, just days before Super Bowl LVIII. Each 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee will receive up to $55,000 for his charity of choice, courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide, with the winner getting a $250,000 donation.
“Being in this position is not just an immense honor, but also a genuine blessing,” Ledbetter stated. “I am profoundly grateful. I eagerly anticipate the progress we can make as we continue to raise awareness about single-family households. Our aim is to empower them, sustain them, and provide them with their necessities.”
Ledbetter’s foundation, Led a Better Way, works to provide for families in the communities of both his home state (Georgia) and his current place of residence (Arizona), with specific focuses on empowering single parents and raising awareness about mental health, both causes of personal significance to the fifth-year pro.
Ledbetter’s mother, a military servicewoman who brought up four children, instilled in him the value of community service from a young age. She would often involve her children in charitable activities such as distributing holiday meals to the homeless or serving food at the soup kitchen. These experiences significantly influenced Ledbetter and later guided his philanthropic efforts through his own foundation.
“Ledbetter declared, “She’s everything. She served as the pillar of our family and continues to be so, holding everything together. Without her, I wouldn’t have initiated any of this.”
Now operating for five years, Ledbetter’s foundation has recently undertaken several outreach activities. These include constructing outdoor classrooms, visiting children’s hospitals, donating toys to children living in Section 8 housing, and organizing youth football camps.
Ledbetter prioritizes mental health awareness, a cause that resonates deeply with him due to his personal encounters with it. He has been candid about his past struggles with depression, particularly during his college years at the University of Georgia, where he grappled with identity issues and uncertainty about his future. He credits his support system, or “village,” as instrumental in helping him navigate his challenges and reach his current place in life. He aspires to provide the same kind of support to young people facing similar difficulties.
“Kids today often feel like they don’t have a safe space,” said Ledbetter. “That’s why I started the mental health initiative. My own experiences and struggles during college and my early years in the league inspired me to do so. I want to reassure these kids that life will have its highs and lows, and it’s perfectly acceptable to discuss these feelings. It’s also completely alright to not feel okay sometimes.”
I thought to myself, I must accomplish this task because it’s crucial. Without the resources I had, it’s uncertain where I might be right now.
Over the years, Ledbetter has taken part in various public speaking events regarding mental health, even serving as the keynote speaker at Arizona State University’s Black Men’s Brain Health Conference last February. However, he admits that his initial speaking engagement had the greatest impact on him, demonstrating the potential of his platform to assist others.
Ledbetter had gone back to his alma mater in Tucker, Georgia, to talk to several students about his mental health experiences and provide guidance. Initially, he was uncertain about what to expect, but the unexpected enthusiasm of the students surprised him. This experience emphasized the profound effect his words could have on the young minds.
“For probably around ninety minutes, I was engaged in answering questions,” Ledbetter began. “The queries ranged from coping mechanisms for anger and sadness to methods for making new friends and adjusting to a new school. They even touched on handling depression, as well as various aspects of life like parent-child relationships, coach-student dynamics, homework, and study habits. It was an enlightening experience to realize that these kids genuinely want to learn and are seeking assistance. They just need someone to inquire about their needs. I found the whole experience so rewarding, I’ve decided to do this annually.”
Ledbetter distinctly recalls a conversation with a football player who expressed feelings of losing himself after an ACL injury. Having surmounted the same injury in 2020, Ledbetter saw it as destiny to relate his experience to someone in the same predicament, providing guidance and advice on dealing with the intricate emotions that accompany such a strenuous physical hindrance. This student eventually became Ledbetter’s long-term mentee, the first of many high school students that he has mentored since.
“It’s so crazy because people are like, ‘I’m not a role model, I’m not that,’ but it doesn’t matter. As long as you’re playing this game, as long as you have that shield in front of you, these kids think you’re a superman,” he said. “And I don’t think people realize that part of it, like, they’re so eager and willing to just take any piece of information from you, if they can talk to you.”
As Ledbetter’s influence in the community has grown, so too has his on-field impact, with the former undrafted free-agent signee of the Dolphins overcoming his knee injury to gradually take on a more impactful role on the Cardinals’ defense. After playing in one game in his first year with Arizona in 2021, he saw action in 14 contests (with three starts) last season. But in 2023, he really came into his own, starting 12 games and posting career highs in tackles (46), quarterback hits (four) and sacks (1.5) before a knee injury on Christmas Eve prematurely ended his breakout campaign.
Once Ledbetter arrived in Arizona, he leveraged the Cardinals’ resources to enhance the influence of Led a Better Way. He transitioned from primarily handling the foundation himself, to operating with a comprehensive network of individuals in his communities. The upward trajectory parallels his journey. The 26-year-old does not anticipate any slowdown in the future.
Ledbetter’s planning to partner with the Black Women’s Health Imperative, which he recognized through this year’s “My Cause, My Cleats” campaign. And he’s already organizing events for 2024 and ’25, including a gala at the University of Georgia aimed at fundraising for multiple causes championed by former Bulldogs in the NFL.
“Ledbetter expressed his firm belief that our existence on this planet is to serve others, emphasizing that this is our ultimate purpose. He stressed that our focus should not be on ourselves, but rather on purposefully utilizing our abilities and possessions to assist others in discovering their own talents. He aspires to fully exemplify this philosophy.”
