Jordan Richards receives the Patriots’ Ron Burton Community Service Award

John Wilcox | Boston Herald

Third year veteran Jordan Richards has been making his presence known in the surrounding areas of New England. He has visited children’s hospitals, donated platelets at the Kraft Family Blood Donor Center and much more.

That’s why the New England Patriots’ strong safety was well-deserving of the Ron Burton Community Service Award at Tuesday nights’ Patriots Premiere party at Gillette Stadium.

Ron Burton was the first player drafted by the team and a community leader who really embraced what it meant to make a difference both on and off the field. This year, the Patriots organization felt that Richards embodied just that.

“It’s about the community and about people,” Richards said. “I just hope everyone’s interaction with me is a positive one. It’s an incredible opportunity and an incredible award.”

Speaking of Richards’ community outreach efforts, team owner Robert Kraft said, “Every Patriots player has an opportunity to make a positive impact in our community. Jordan has made the most of his opportunities. In his two seasons with the team, he has made dozens of community appearances, volunteering time and resources to support many of our team initiatives.”

Kraft continued, “He has an infectious smile, an outgoing personality and a desire to help others, attributes that make him one of the most genuine goodwill ambassadors on the team. We appreciated his many contributions and his eagerness to always want to do more.”

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