Marcell Dareus Continues to Show His Huge Heart

Oct 30, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus (99) against the New England Patriots at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Nearly a month after giving back to the kids on Halloween, Marcell Dareus is back for the holiday season with more love.

Marcell Dareus has always stressed the importance of giving back to the community and never shies from taking action behind his words.

Nearly a month ago, Dareus was seen giving out candy and sailor hats to children of two Boys & Girls Clubs in Buffalo. He even spent time to talk to them about his childhood and how to be the “captain of your own ship,” as he put it.

He’s back at it again.

Just a few days after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in a very close game, Dareus announced that he will be giving back to both the Buffalo community and his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama in time for Thanksgiving.

In Birmingham, Marcell Dareus has teamed up with the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District (HABD) for the first time, with hopes of future collaborations. Thanks to their help and Dareus’ loving nature, they will be giving out Thanksgiving meals to more than 100 seniors. In the future, he plans to help people of all ages living in bad conditions.

Oct 18, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus (99) and Cincinnati Bengals center Russell Bodine (61) during the game at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Here’s what Dareus had to say about his hometown:

“I grew up in Alabama fully-supported by government welfare, so I know what something like this can mean to a person or a family in need,” said Dareus. “I’m never going to forget about my hometown. This is the time of year to make sure no one is left behind or forgotten about. I’m excited to be partnering with HABD and I’m looking forward to continuing to help out whenever I can.”

In addition, with the Buffalo Bills playing the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Marcell Dareus has agreed to host 8 veterans — from both the Veterans One-Stop Center of Western New York and Western New York Heroes Inc. — to watch the game in Dareus’ suite. The two organizations have been helping over 170,000 veterans that live in the WNY area.

In addition, the 8 veterans will get to meet Marcell Dareus after the game — hopefully as the team rides into Victory Monday for the second straight week.

“It’s always important to give back, but especially during this time of year,” said Dareus. “I try to stay as connected as possible to the community in Buffalo and my first home, in Birmingham, so it’s extremely important to be able to help in both places. I know what it’s like to want things that you can’t have this time of year and I’m just glad I can do what I can.”

Dareus continues to set an example and prove that there’s more to him than just football.

There’s no doubt he has had an intense season so far, missing pretty much the first half to a suspension and a number of injuries. However, he won’t let that define him and we shouldn’t let it either.

“I have been working super hard on doing everything I could do to get healthy and get back on the field, and contribute to our overall defensive effort. It was fun out there Sunday and that’s the best feeling in the world. I love to play football. It’s all I ever wanted to do and now I am back and looking forward to contributing for the rest of the year.”

The Buffalo Bills‘ defense is definitely a better squad with Dareus on the field and it showed last week, limiting the Bengals to just 93 yards rushing as a team. He finished the game with four tackles, 0.5 sacks, one pass defended and one QB hit.

We will definitely need Dareus to bring it against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who will be equipped with a young offense that stars T.J. Yeldon, Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Blake Bortles.

Good luck vs. the Jaguars and to the rest of your season, Marcell Dareus.

How many rushing yards do the Buffalo Bills limit the Jags to, any predictions? I say under 100. Leave your comments below!