For the second year in a row, ESPN has named Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver a finalist for its Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.
Stuver was recognized last year for his work within the Austin community, including championing the Laundry Project (along with his wife Ashley), which according to its website, "assist[s] lower-income families with meeting a basic need – washing clothes and linens, by turning laundromats into community centers of hope." Stuver has also been involved in efforts to support the LGBTQIA+ community, including serving on Equality Texas' board and serving as an ambassador for advocacy organization Athlete Ally. He also lent his support to a fundraiser last October for the Bobby Jones Chiari & Syringomyelia Foundation, which helps people dealing with a group of rare brain conditions.
According to a release from the club, "Stuver remains the first and only Major League Soccer player ever to be nominated for the award, given to an athlete whose continuous, demonstrated leadership has created a measured positive impact on their community through sports."
Stuver, who missed last year's ESPYs ceremonies due to a bout with COVID-19, hopes to be in attendance for this year's ESPYs where the award will be announced, on Wednesday, July 12, starting at 7 p.m. CT on ABC. (That date coincides with a July 12 away match in Vancouver.)
“I’m incredibly honored to be nominated for this presitigious award for a second consecutive year,” Stuver said by way of press release. “My career as a professional athlete has given me a platform to help others, and my goal has always been to use that platform to do as much good as I can for as long as I can.”
Austin FC Josh Wolff added, also by way of press release, “Brad’s work on the pitch and in the community has made him a foundational member of this Club ever since he arrived in Austin ahead of our inaugural season. We want to congratulate him and his wife Ashley on this well-deserved recognition.”
Stuver's humanitarian accolades haven't just been limited to ESPN; he was also a finalist for the MLS Works Humanitarian of the Year award in each of the previous two seasons, and he was named 4ATX Foundation Legend of the Year in both 2021 and 2022.
This year, Stuver joins three other nominees for this ESPY: Paralympic swimmer and UN ambassador Jamal Hill, the Milwaukee Bucks’ Jrue Holiday and retired U.S. Women’s National Team player Lauren Holiday.
Last year, retiring baseball star Albert Pujols, overseeing the Pujols Family Foundation around the twin causes of the Dominican Republic and Down syndrome, won the ESPY amid a field that also included Minnesota Timberwolves standout Karl-Anthony Towns and NFL veteran Anthony Barr.