Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku revealed that he suffered serious facial injuries in a home fire pit accident and wants to raise money for burn victims and research.
In statements posted by the American Burn Association and on his own social media, the 27-year-old New Jersey native launched a merchandise brand, "Withstand," to generate those funds.
"I want to use my platform to help bring awareness to an all too common issue and shed some positive light on an otherwise unfortunate incident," Njoku said. The accident happened on Sept. 29 in Cleveland, but Njoku still played in the Browns' Week 4 game against the Baltimore Ravens just two days later, said Brandon Austin, co-founder of the player's merchandise promoter Millions.
Njoku showed up to the stadium for that Oct. 1 game wearing a full mask over his face.