IAM Assistant Director of Communications DeLane Adams participated as a judge on the panel selecting finalists for the 2026 NFL Players Association (NFLPA) Alan Page Community Award. The panel narrowed down 18 candidates to five finalists, with input from more than 6,000 fans through a digital voting platform.
Other members of the judging panel included Anquan Boldin, former NFL wide receiver and past winner of the award; Mike Jones, national NFL writer for The Athletic; and Margaret Richardson, Chief Marketing and Corporate Affairs Officer at GoFundMe.
The Alan Page Community Award is regarded as the highest honor that the NFLPA gives to its players. It recognizes one union member each year who has made significant contributions to community service in their team’s city or hometown. The winner is chosen by fellow players through a league-wide digital vote.
This year’s five finalists were Garett Bolles (Denver Broncos), Dion Dawkins (Buffalo Bills), Nakobe Dean (Philadelphia Eagles), Derrick Henry (Baltimore Ravens), and Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears). Denver Broncos’ Garett Bolles was named the 2026 recipient.
Bolles was selected by his peers and received a $100,000 donation from the NFLPA for his GB3 Foundation. The announcement took place on February 3 at an NFLPA Super Bowl press conference in San Francisco. Bolles had previously been recognized as Week 1 NFLPA Community MVP after he and his wife Natalie opened the Bjorem + Bolles Childhood Apraxia Training Center in Parker, Colorado. Established through their foundation and inspired by their son Kingston, this facility focuses on training speech-language pathologists in treating Childhood Apraxia of Speech. It is supported by a personal donation from the Bolles family and provides education and resources for children with apraxia.
DeLane Adams commented: “It was an honor to represent the IAM Union and the labor movement on this distinguished panel. The commitment these NFL players demonstrate to their communities mirrors the same dedication other union members show every day in serving their neighbors and fellow workers. I want to thank Brandon Parker, NFLPA director of media and community relations, for inviting me to be part of this important process. Congratulations to Denver Broncos’ Garett Bolles on this well-deserved recognition, and to all 18 outstanding candidates who are making a real difference in people’s lives.”
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has longstanding ties with the NFL Players Association, including providing office space during its early years at IAM Headquarters.
IAM International President Brian Bryant stated: “The IAM Union is proud to have DeLane representing the IAM in the judging of these remarkable athletes who understand that real leadership means lifting up your community. The NFLPA’s Community MVP campaign is a tremendous program. I want to congratulate Denver Broncos’ Garett Bolles and all the other finalists. They represent the best of what it means to be a union member, standing up for those who need it most.”
Since its inception in 1967, what is now called the Alan Page Community Award honors exceptional civic engagement among players; it was renamed in 2018 after Pro Football Hall of Famer Alan Page—who also served on Minnesota’s Supreme Court—for his leadership within both football and social justice initiatives.
The Community MVP campaign continues as part of ongoing efforts by the NFL Players Association to support player-led civic outreach throughout each year. Weekly honorees are selected based on nominations reviewed by an internal committee comprised of staff members from across the association. Each weekly MVP receives a $10,000 contribution from their union directed toward their nonprofit organization of choice.
