WAYMAKER TOP 50
Athletes and sports leaders whose discipline and platform reach far past the scoreboard—driving community investment, mentorship, and lasting impact.
Leading
Past the Final Buzzer
A’ja Wilson has become one of the most accomplished players in modern women’s basketball, helping to change how women athletes are recognized and supported. As the leader of the Las Vegas Aces, she has earned several WNBA MVP awards, guided her team to league championships, and consistently ranked among the top scorers and defenders. Her dominance on both offense and defense has made her a standout figure in the WNBA.
Wilson’s achievements on the court have a broader impact beyond wins and awards. In a league working toward greater equity in pay, media coverage, and investment, her success highlights the value of women’s sports as both high-level competition and a growing business. Her record-breaking performances and Finals MVP honors attract fans, sponsors, and media coverage, creating more opportunities for herself and future players. For young girls, especially Black girls, seeing Wilson excel shows that leadership and ambition are within their reach.
Her 2025 season in particular was historic. She became the first player in WNBA or NBA history to combine a scoring title with MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP in a single season.
Off the court, the Aces forward is committed to supporting her community. In 2019, she started the A’ja Wilson Foundation to help children and families affected by dyslexia, a learning difference she has spoken about from her own experience. The foundation offers educational resources, advocacy, and programs that address bullying and promote youth empowerment. Through this work, Wilson helps families find support in areas that are often overlooked.
Wilson’s leadership goes beyond her achievements on the court. She uses her platform to give back, support others, and push for greater equality and access in sports. Her example shows that success in athletics can help drive positive change for entire communities.
Coaching Athletes
From Boys to Men
Some people need no introduction—Deion Sanders is one of them.
Affectionately known as “Coach Prime,” Sanders is a legendary two-sport athlete whose impact spans generations. He won two Super Bowl titles during his NFL career and appeared in a Major League Baseball World Series, making him the only athlete in history to compete in both a Super Bowl and a World Series. His excellence on the field cemented his status as a cultural icon long before his coaching career began.
Beyond his athletic achievements, Sanders has remained a figure of cultural significance and influence, consistently redefining what leadership looks like in sports and beyond.
As a father of five, Sanders brings the same passion and intentionality to his role as head football coach at the University of Colorado Boulder. Day in and day out, he focuses on shaping young athletes into men, prioritizing character, education, accountability, and life skills alongside athletic performance.
When he’s in coaching mode, Sanders emphasizes discipline and preparation for life beyond the game, pushing his players to develop confidence, responsibility, and a sense of purpose. Grounded in faith and humility, he leads by example, reminding his team that success is measured not only by wins and losses but by integrity and growth.
Beyond coaching and mentorship, Sanders is deeply committed to philanthropy and economic empowerment. He has donated significant resources to charitable causes focused on education, community development, and youth opportunity, and he is a co-founder of BLK & Bold, a Black-owned coffee and lifestyle brand dedicated to reinvesting profits into underserved communities.
Above all, Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders continues to leave an undeniable mark—proving that true legacy is built by uplifting others and inspiring excellence on and off the field.
Driving Change On and Off the Field
Whether or not you’re a football fan, chances are you know Jalen Hurts. The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback has become a household name, admired not only for his elite performance on the field but also for the values he represents off of it.
Hurts has proven himself as one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks, leading the Eagles to two Super Bowl appearances against the Kansas City Chiefs. After falling short in Super Bowl LVII, he returned with determination, guiding Philadelphia to victory in Super Bowl LIX in February 2025 and earning Super Bowl MVP honors.
Off the field, Hurts is equally intentional about how he shows up. Married to Bry Burrows, he has consistently expressed deep admiration and respect for Black women, often highlighting their resilience, strength, and role as trailblazers. His appreciation has been both public and personal, including a widely shared “love letter” honoring Black women and their impact.
That commitment is also reflected in his professional decisions. Hurts famously assembled an all-female management team—three of whom are Black—including agent Nicole Lynn, who negotiated his record-breaking $255 million contract extension in 2023.
Beyond sports and business, Hurts is the founder of the Jalen Hurts Foundation, which focuses on empowering youth and strengthening communities in Philadelphia. The foundation notably donated $200,000 to provide 300 air conditioning units to schools across the district, improving learning conditions for more than 5,500 students.
“I believe every child deserves a nurturing environment to thrive in,” Hurts said. Through both leadership and action, Hurts continues to redefine what it means to be a modern athlete—grounded, intentional, and impact-driven.
Broadcasting With Humanity
James Brown exemplifies the highest standard of sports media. Throughout his career, he has remained informed, grounded, and, above all, guided by a deep sense of humanity. As the long-standing host of “The NFL Today” on CBS Sports, Brown’s steady, purposeful presence has anchored broadcasts—especially Super Bowl pregame coverage—that continue to earn widespread recognition and multiple Sports Emmy Awards. Through his leadership, he sets a clear tone that underscores the importance of perspective alongside performance.
What makes Brown’s career resonate most is his unwavering leadership, both on and off air. Recognized nationally for service, he received the Congressional Hunger Center’s Trailblazer Hunger Leadership Award for elevating food insecurity issues. Through organizations like GENYOUth, he champions nutrition and access for millions of children, proving that authentic leadership prioritizes both community compassion and responsibility.
Brown’s leadership extends to mental health and recovery advocacy. Sharing his own journey, he joins forces with groups like the Huntsman Mental Health Foundation to destigmatize mental health, addiction, and suicide prevention. His honest, compassionate voice lends credibility, defining him as a leader shaped by experience.
Brown’s leadership further includes support for initiatives in children’s health, education, and leadership development. As both an ordained minister and a respected broadcaster, he consistently brings moral clarity and empathy to every space, demonstrating that authentic leadership is anchored in service.
More Than
a Game Plan
Kyrie Irving is recognized as one of basketball’s most skilled and creative players. An NBA champion, multiple-time All-Star, and gold medalist with Team USA at the 2016 Olympics, his on-court success has made him a prominent figure in sports. Beyond basketball, he has built a unique influence through a signature sneaker line that was the second-best-selling in 2017 and a partnership with Anta Sports, where he is chief creative officer, shaping youth basketball worldwide.
Irving’s approach to philanthropy is often direct and personal. In a widely shared moment, he supported independent Bay Area rapper LaRussell by purchasing his forthcoming album for $11,001, one of the largest direct-to-artist purchases in the project’s campaign to sell 100,000 copies independently. The artist chose to use those funds to offer direct financial relief to fans in need, including rent and medical support. The gesture highlighted Irving’s ongoing commitment to supporting creative independence and economic self-determination.
Over the years, he has quietly contributed millions of dollars toward food security, housing relief, educational initiatives, and crisis support for families in need. Central to Irving’s giving is his sustained support of Indigenous communities. Open about his Standing Rock Sioux heritage, he has funded clean water projects, cultural preservation efforts, and educational resources for Native youth. He has also supported historically Black colleges and universities, youth sports programs, and grassroots organizations, often without publicity.
Kyrie’s community investment reflects the belief that athletes can leverage both visibility and resources to drive tangible impact. Through business roles, philanthropic gestures, and cultural support, Kyrie Irving continues to expand what it means to be a professional athlete engaged with the world beyond the game.
Changing the Game In a
Male-Dominated Industry
Sandra Douglass Morgan’s upbringing as the daughter of a Black father and a first-generation Korean-American mother shaped a lifelong commitment to representation and equity. No matter where her life or career led, Morgan made a promise to herself to keep inclusion at the forefront of her leadership—a principle that has defined her historic career.
An accomplished attorney, Morgan made history in 2022 when she was named president of the Las Vegas Raiders, becoming the first Black woman and first Asian-American woman to serve as an NFL team president.
While her role with the Raiders broke national barriers, Morgan has long been reshaping leadership landscapes in Nevada. She previously served as the first Black city attorney for the city of North Las Vegas and was the first Black woman to chair the Nevada Gaming Control Board, overseeing one of the most influential gaming regulatory bodies in the world.
Across every role, Morgan has been recognized for her ability to lead through both opportunity and challenge. In a 2022 interview with the Las Vegas Raiders, she addressed the significance of her leadership saying, “My qualifications speak for themselves, and I’ve led and managed teams through good times and difficult times. If me being a Black woman brings an additional lens to my leadership—which I think it does—if it inspires others to help other girls and women know there’s a different path forward, then I’m all for it.”
Today, Morgan stands as both a testament to what is possible and a signal of what is still to come.
Tackling the Silence
Around Mental Health
Solomon Thomas channels extraordinary resilience, discipline, and achievement into every snap on the football field, from being the third overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Stanford to anchoring defensive fronts for the San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, and now the Dallas Cowboys. But Thomas’s impact reaches far beyond tackles, sacks, and game-day highlights. What many see in his performance is only one layer of a life focused on service, vulnerability, and community care.
Thomas’s commitment to mental health and suicide prevention stems from heartbreaking personal experience–the loss of his sister, Ella, to suicide in 2018. Motivated by this tragedy, he and his parents co-founded The Defensive Line, a nonprofit aimed at ending youth suicide, especially in communities of color, by transforming how people communicate about mental health and connect with support systems. The organization’s programming includes workshops, suicide prevention education, and partnerships with schools and community groups to help identify signs of crisis and promote open dialogue.
The 30-year-old brings this mission into every part of his public life. Sharing his story through major media outlets and speaking on panels with national mental health organizations, he helps destigmatize conversations about grief, anxiety, and wellness. In 2025, he was recognized as a Week 12 NFLPA Community MVP after leading mental health discussions with students, facilitating connections to resources, and supporting food security initiatives.
In youth football camps, school visits, national campaigns, and everyday conversations with teammates, Thomas emphasizes that vulnerability is not a form of weakness and that strength includes asking for help. His work continues to expand awareness, access, and understanding, showing that a leader’s reach can go well beyond the line of scrimmage.