Jaguars kicker Cam Little honors cousin with meaningful ‘My Cause My Cleats’ design

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jaguars revealed their custom ‘My Cause My Cleats’ designs Tuesday morning, each created to spotlight a charitable organization chosen by players across the roster.

For kicker Cam Little, the cleats he’ll wear this season carry a deeply personal meaning.

Little is representing the Down Syndrome Association of Jacksonville, a cause inspired by his close relationship with his cousin, Ayden.

Seeing his completed cleats for the first time, Little couldn’t help but react with excitement.

“Alright, let’s see… They’re darker than last time. Okay, yeah – they’ve got the speckles on them too,” Little said. “These are sick.”

The cleats, custom-designed by artist Dillion DeJesus, feature blue and yellow – the recognized colors for Down Syndrome awareness. But beyond the design, Little said the cleats reflect the bond he’s shared with Ayden since childhood.

“When I was growing up, he was my best friend – like a built-in best friend because he was family,” Little said. “We’d always go to my grandma’s house during the summer… whether it was the teeter-totter, basketball, soccer – we were always out playing together. We were really close growing up.”

Ayden, who was born with Down Syndrome, is just a few months younger than Little. As the two grew up, Little said his cousin became a source of inspiration and perspective.

“As I matured, I realized he was an inspiration to me,” Little said. “No matter what was going on, just smile and have fun. People look at it as a disability, but I look at it as a superhuman ability.”

That mindset is part of the reason Little has made Down Syndrome advocacy a personal mission. He previously partnered with the Down Syndrome Connection of Northwest Arkansas during college and said he wanted to continue that work upon his arrival in Jacksonville.

“There’s this unwritten rule that you use your brand for something bigger than yourself,” Little said. “My parents and other athletes really instilled that in me.”

He said Ayden already knows he’ll be honored through this year’s cleat design – and he’s thrilled.

“Oh yeah, he’s excited,” Little said. “He loves the camera attention. He lives for it.”

Little said spending time with individuals with Down Syndrome brings him joy that’s hard to describe.

“If you haven’t been around people with Down Syndrome, they love to have fun,” he said. “They’re high energy — and it’s contagious.”

Little will wear his custom cleats during warmups when the Jaguars face the Titans on Nov. 30.

The NFL’s ‘My Cause My Cleats’ initiative allows players and coaches across the league to highlight causes that matter most to them. Many players will auction off their cleats after the game, with 100% of proceeds going directly to their selected charities.

Jaguars kicker Cam Little honors cousin with meaningful ‘My Cause My Cleats’ design

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