With one, he gets paid extremely well. With the other, he gets handsomely rewarded.
As most Tech fans know, Graham is still kicking it in the NFL, serving as the kicker for the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s a job that he performs with the utmost precision, holding nearly every Cincinnati kicking record after joining the organization in 2003 and ranking as the most accurate active kicker in the NFL (85.8 percent). He also ranks second all-time among kickers ever to play in the NFL.
But Graham’s accomplishments on the field pale drastically to the work he does off it.
The former Pulaski County [Va.] High School standout has become the king of charitable projects in the Queen City. Some of his endeavors include the following:
Cincinnati Freestore/Foodbank – He serves as a board member and has helped raised more than $100,000 toward providing meals for the hungry in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area. He found a sponsor that donates $300 for every field goal that he makes to the Freestore/Foodbank, and he invites three children for every field goal made to an end-of-the-year banquet at the Cincinnatian Hotel.
Kicks for Kids – He has teamed with former Cincinnati kickers Doug Pelfrey – who started this organization – and Jim Breech and other corporate partners to provide area at-risk children with opportunities to pursue their dreams. This includes children who are mentally and physically challenged. With Graham helping, the organization has provided nearly $1.25 million in assistance since 1995 and recently purchased 16 acres of land in Ohio to build a youth complex to reach even more kids.
Shayne Graham Foundation – In August, his own foundation formed a partnership with the Cincinnati Ronald McDonald House. He and a team of kids built a go-kart in the shape of a football to participate in a soapbox race that helped raise money for the cause.
Strikeouts for Troops – This organization was founded by San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito as a way to assist America’s war-wounded with ‘comforts of home.’ Graham read about this and approached Zito, wanting to help. He became the first NFL player to hop on board, pledging $300 for every field goal made this season to the organization. Helping the troops ranks high on Graham’s list of priorities. His father, Tom Graham, served in Vietnam, and Shayne Graham often visits V.A. hospitals in Virginia and Cincinnati.
For all that work within the community, he was named the Bengals’ nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year last year – an honor that ultimately went to Jason Taylor, then of the Miami Dolphins.
“I’ve really always wanted to be involved in the community,” Graham said. “But until I got to Cincinnati, I was never in one place long enough to get involved.
“Now I am and I enjoy it. I would not have gotten to where I am without the help of others. My family’s always supported me and I have had great coaches and great teammates. Since I’ve been here, I wanted to make this place my home and I want to help the people within this community. I’ve started my own foundation and we’ve gotten involved in 45-50 different events this year already.”
The Shayne Graham Foundation (www.shaynegraham.com) is a non-profit organization that provides resources to underserved children and other charitable initiatives. The mission is simply to lend assistance to those in need and be an organization that makes a lasting impression, empowers those who want to make a difference, and strengthens communities.
Even with a hectic schedule off the field, Graham makes sure to get plenty of practice time in to excel on it. This season marks his sixth in Cincinnati and he represents the model of consistency. He’s made 163 of 190 field-goal attempts for his career, a success rate of 85.8 percent.
“I think just being consistent every day and with every kick has helped me the most,” Graham said. “I’m not the type of person who gets down when I miss a kick and I don’t get too excited when I make one. That approach has been working well for me.”
Graham finally got his big break right before the 2003 season after bouncing around with a couple of teams. He spent part of 2002 with the Carolina Panthers after John Kasay went down with an injury. But the Panthers decided to go with Kasay the following season, and Graham found himself looking for a job.
“I really hadn’t been in a competitive situation no matter how well I had kicked,” he said. “In the NFL, teams kind of go with the guy who has experience, the guy they know. John Kasay was a guy who had been around forever and had proven himself, so I understood.
“I was just hoping to catch a break at some point because I knew I had the confidence to kick in this league. I never had a lack of confidence. It was just a matter of opportunity, and once I got it, I prepared myself to make the best of it.”
In 2003, Darrin Simmons, a Panthers’ special teams coach, took the job as the special teams coach in Cincinnati. He encouraged the Bengals to sign Graham, and Graham’s been getting in his kicks ever since. In 2005, he made his first Pro Bowl.
“I’ve really been comfortable here,” he said. “Everything has worked out.”
And not just for him. It’s worked out quite well for a lot of local charities and organizations in the Cincy area, too.
