Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver has been shortlisted for the 2022 Sports Humanitarian awards at this year's ESPYS.
ESPN nominated the 31-year-old for the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award, along with Anthony Barr of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings, Albert Pujols of the MLB's St. Louis Cardinals and Karl-Anthony Towns of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.
In addition to being a founding board member of Equality Texas, the largest LGBTQIA+ advocacy nonprofit in Texas, Stuver is an ambassador for Athlete Ally, an organization that promotes LGBTQIA+ equality in sports.
“It’s an honor to be named a finalist for this prestigious award,” said Stuver through a club statement. “I’ve been fortunate to be able to use my platform as a professional athlete to speak and act on issues close to my heart, and I’m excited to share this moment with other fantastic athletes who have done the same.”
He also dedicates time to the Current Initiatives’ The Laundry Project, which provides laundry services and materials to low-income families. Stuver has already organized seven fundraising events for the charity since arriving at Austin FC.
“We’re very proud of Brad and feel fortunate to have him and his wife Ashley as representatives of our club,” said Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff. “He is a quality example of an athlete using their platform for good.”
Stuver was nominated for the MLS Works Humanitarian of the Year award in 2021, while being honored with the 4ATX Foundation Legend of the Year Award for his community work through soccer. The goalkeeper also participated in this year's South by Southwest Conference in Austin, speaking during the “Athlete Activism: Using Sport for Social Good" workshop.
The 2022 ESPYS will take place on Wednesday, July 20 at 8 pm ET and will air live on ABC. Proceeds from the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award benefit the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund at the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
