This article came to Greatful Moments from PorkRinds.com, sharing the news that University of Kentucky Wildcats tight end Willie Rodriguez has been named the “Crunch Time Hero® of the Week” for Week #5.
But this story isn’t just about a football player making a big play. It is also about what happens when someone who has a platform decides to use that platform to help other people. And that is the part that caught my attention.
I have always believed that when someone is given an opportunity to be seen, heard or followed by a lot of people, they have a choice about what they do with that attention. They can use it simply to talk about themselves. Or they can use it to bring attention to something bigger.
Willie Rodriguez had a pretty big moment on the football field. But what I appreciate about this story is that the conversation didn’t stop with football. His big play helped Kentucky pull off a huge comeback, but now fans have the opportunity to turn that moment into something that can help children and families dealing with pediatric brain cancer.
That makes this more than another football award to me. It is a reminder that sometimes the biggest thing we can do with our own opportunities is point people toward a cause that needs more attention. And when you’re a college athlete with people watching what you do, that can reach a whole lot of people.
Willie Rodriguez is a junior tight end for the University of Kentucky Wildcats. During Kentucky’s Week #5 SEC matchup against the South Carolina Gamecocks, Rodriguez came up with a huge overtime two-point conversion reception. That play helped Kentucky secure a 35–34 road victory and contributed to what PorkRinds.com described as the largest road comeback in Kentucky football program history.
That performance earned Rodriguez the “Crunch Time Hero® of the Week” honor from PorkRinds.com. But Rodriguez is also using the opportunity to help raise awareness for the Archer Foundation, which supports pediatric brain cancer research and families affected by the disease.
In an exclusive PorkRinds.com interview with sports personality Peighton Tubre, Rodriguez talked about using his position as a Division I college athlete to spread positive awareness. PorkRinds.com, which describes itself as a destination for pork rind lovers, selected Rodriguez for its Week #5 “Crunch Time Hero® of the Week” honor. Fans now have the opportunity to help Rodriguez compete for the season-long “Crunch Time Hero® of the Year” award.
From October 8 through October 22, fans can share Rodriguez’s designated Instagram post from @eatporkrinds. And there is an added reason to participate. Every share generates a $3 donation to pediatric brain cancer research and support through PorkRinds.com’s partnership with the Archer Foundation. That means something as simple as sharing a social media post can help turn attention from a football field into support for a very different kind of fight.
Rodriguez’s voting window runs from October 8 through October 22. Fans can share his “Crunch Time Hero® of the Week” Instagram post to help strengthen his chances of becoming the “Crunch Time Hero® of the Year” while also helping generate donations for the Archer Foundation.
The season-long campaign continues through December. At the end of the season, the player who receives the most shares during their voting period will be named the Crunch Time Hero® of the Year. The winner will receive an exclusive interview with Barstool Sports’ The Yak, a year’s supply of pork rinds, an exclusive prize and the opportunity to represent PorkRinds.com at Radio Row ahead of the 2027 Super Bowl in Los Angeles. But honestly, the prize isn’t the part I find most interesting. It is what those shares can do along the way.
I think sometimes we forget how much good can come from simply sharing something. We scroll through Facebook and Instagram all day long. We share funny things. We share pictures of our families. We share football scores, recipes, giveaways and things that make us laugh.
So when someone gives us an opportunity to share something that can actually help another family, why not? Willie Rodriguez had an incredible football moment. Kentucky came away with a 35–34 victory. He received recognition as a Crunch Time Hero. But now that moment can become something bigger. It can help bring attention to pediatric brain cancer and support research and families through the Archer Foundation.
That is the kind of story I like bringing to the Greatful Moments front porch. Because being grateful for a win doesn’t mean we have to stop there. Sometimes we can take the good moment we’ve been given and use it to help somebody else. And I think that’s exactly what makes this story worth sharing.
Thank you to PorkRinds.com for sharing this information with Greatful Moments and for highlighting Willie Rodriguez’s Week #5 “Crunch Time Hero® of the Week” honor. Fans can follow the campaign and find Rodriguez’s shareable post through @eatporkrinds on Instagram. The campaign runs through December, with Rodriguez’s voting window taking place October 8–22.
To learn more about the organization receiving support through the campaign, visit the Archer Foundation. Greatful Moments is grateful for the opportunity to share stories that go beyond the scoreboard and remind us that sometimes a person’s greatest impact comes from what they do with the attention they’ve been given.
Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.
GreatfulMoments.com
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
