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Stanfield ’24 honored in NFL’s ‘My Cause My Cleats’
Bryce Stanfield (left) participated in the Valiant Player Program with teammates, including Julian Ashby (third from left).
Former Furman University long snapper Bryce Stanfield ’24 collapsed during a team workout in February 2024. Two days after being hospitalized and placed on life support, he passed away due to the massive pulmonary embolism he suffered that was unrelated to football activities.
Friends and family continue to find ways to remember the health sciences graduate, who was awarded his degree posthumously. ABC affiliate WSB-TV in Atlanta aired a story about how fellow long snapper Julian Ashby ’24, a physics major and rookie for the New England Patriots, chose to honor Stanfield in the NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” initiative.
Ashby’s cause, “Stop the Clot,” was emblazoned on specially crafted cleats featuring Stanfield’s name and Paladin number, 97, among other tributes. Ashby wore them Dec. 1 at Gillette Stadium in a primetime game versus the New York Giants amid 65,000 fans. He later donated the cleats to Stanfield’s family, staunch supporters of the National Blood Clot Alliance.
Teri Stanfield, Bryce’s mother, told the NBCA, “Seeing Julian lace up those cleats in Bryce’s honor means more than I can say. If sharing his story helps one person recognize a warning sign, ask a question, or get help sooner, then his light is still shining, and his life is still making a difference.”
The New England Patriots also covered the story. The link to WSB-TV clip is temporary and may expire after 90 days.