Dennis Gardeck's community work sets high bar for Arizona Cardinals players

On a team full of players who volunteer their time in the community, some almost every week, Dennis Gardeck inspires his teammates.

On football Sundays, Gardeck is trying hard to get to opposing NFL quarterbacks for sacks. Wednesday through Friday is for honing his craft in practice with the Arizona Cardinals, for whom Gardeck plays outside linebacker.

Tuesdays are Cardinals community days, and Gardeck takes those just as seriously as his job.

"Getting in the league, being in Arizona all by myself for the first time, you know, while the off day is kind of long when all you've got to do is football. So getting involved with (Cardinals Community Relations/Alumni Program Coordinator) Adam Richman and helping stay busy on Tuesdays kind of helped me like reset throughout the week, kind of helped break up the monotony of the week.

"And then obviously, the more direct consequences from that are, you feel like you're able to make a difference in the community, and to be able to brighten somebody's day just by showing up and hanging out for an hour is really special. I think it's something we kind of owe the community for all that they do to support us."

Few gave Gardeck much of a chance to even make it to the NFL as an undrafted player out of West Virginia State and Sioux Falls, two NCAA Division II programs. Regarded as undersized, Gardeck not only earned a roster spot as a rookie in 2018 but made his name on special teams, where he's since been a Pro Bowl alternate and now a four-time team captain.

Gardeck has the most sacks, 13, of any undrafted player in Cardinals history. He also, according to the team, has done more community work through the team than any other player.

"His story, his background, how hard he's had to fight to get to this point. You just can't help but appreciate just the type of person he is and the type of character he has as a player giving back," said teammate Kelvin Beachum, also a difference maker locally and in other parts of the world with his commitment to helping others. "So, got a huge appreciation for how he moves, how he handles his business and how we serve the community."

Gardeck found an appreciation for community service when in college at West Virginia State. It began as building a rapport with local elementary school kids and included a university-wide West Virginia State Cares Day, on which every student was encouraged to something to make a difference. Gardeck and the football team held a kids camp.

Gardeck was inspired by Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald and the many initiatives, charities and organizations he participated with in his playing days. Gardeck found that he could tie in football and physical activity to working with young people with or without disabilities, and has also taken on the fight against hunger to do his part to feed those in need.

"Just growing up, always having a meal. Just kind of having your eyes open to the fact that that's not the case for everybody, that you want to, we want to do everything you can to ensure everybody does have a meal, because it's something that you most take for granted," Gardeck said. "But also you feel like everybody should be entitled to."

On a recent Tuesday, Gardeck got the OK from a team strength and conditioning coach to move his weightlifting session up to an earlier time so he could make it to an elementary school to read to students and take questions from them.

One Tuesday this month, he'd committed to joining Beachum and teammate Jonathan Ledbetter on a United Food Bank event to provide meals. But an injury and treatment for it prevented Gardeck from making a personal appearance.

Gardeck followed up to make sure all of the meals were delivered to those who truly needed them, and made a sizable monetary donation that Beachum and Ledbetter matched.

"He's always been very easy to work with. Very kind, always just wanting to do more. And so I think he's kind of leaned on the Cardinals and some of the players that he's friends with to help him get more involved," said Grace Astor, director of philanthropy for United Food Bank. "But yeah, he's come and packed food bags and helped us with two distributions he's partnered with Kelvin on. And he's just always willing to donate and amplify it, and just very kind."

It's not uncommon for Gardeck to have several teammates at one of the places Gardeck has volunteered, to be there with him in support.

"He's just a pillar of the community, but he exemplifies everything that you want to see in the Arizona Cardinals and everything that the Arizona Cardinals want to emulate," Ledbetter said. "He's so much bigger than the football player that he is. I love having him as a teammate, I love the work he does in the community, and I love when we get to partner up and do stuff together."

Linebacker Jesse Luketa has also joined Gardeck in community work and appeared at events with Gardeck. Earlier this month Luketa and Ledbetter took part in a kids camp at Tempe High School.

"He sets the standard, honestly," Luketa said of Gardeck. "You start seeing how he is, how he treats people on a day-to-day basis, you know, whether it's in the facility, or just out here in the community, his energy and his eagerness to want to give back, it's infectious."

One of Gardeck's most rewarding personal experiences in his work outside of football has been the relationship he's built with Kevin Winegar, a football player at Mesa Eastmark High School who returned to football earlier this fall after a long battle against leukemia.

Gardeck and Ledbetter presented Winegar and his family with Super Bowl tickets in February on behalf of the Cardinals. Things could have ended there, but Gardeck maintained the friendship with Winegar and exchanges text messages with him.

Gardeck offered football advice to Winegar, a linebacker, and gave Winegar his Cardinals captain jersey patch, which Winegar had sewn into his senior night game jersey. Gardeck also connected Winegar with Cardinals running back James Conner, who also overcame leukemia while in college and has had a good NFL career.

"I don't take this relationship with Kevin for granted at all, because a lot of times there are very impactful events and they're set up through the Cardinals and you're slotted for this amount of time. ... You don't ever really just kind of see it all the way through," Gardeck said. "So to be able to form that connection with Kevin and to be able to check on him constantly ... just to be a part of the whole process and then like, to be there for his first games and the highs and the lows, to be a part of it is really cool."

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: This Cardinals captain makes community work part of his life as NFL player