Tunnel to Towers Foundation Welcomes University of Oklahoma Sooners Football Player, Danny Okoye, to Student-Athlete Advocate Program
NEW YORK, Sept. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Tunnel to Towers Foundation today announced that University of
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NEW YORK, Sept. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Tunnel to Towers Foundation today announced that University of Oklahoma Sooners defensive end Danny Okoye has joined the organization as a T2T Student-Athlete Advocate. Throughout the season, Okoye will donate to the Foundation and will use his platform to ensure that young Americans “Never Forget” the sacrifices made by our nation’s first responders and military members.
The junior pass rusher, who comes from a family rooted in service, joins a growing community of student–athletes who volunteer their time and platform to advance the mission of the Foundation. Danny and his peers show that as the nation prepares to commemorate the 25th anniversary of September 11th, young Americans play a vital role in ensuring that future generations “Never Forget.”
Okoye, a Tulsa native, has committed to donating $100 for every tackle, $200 for every sack, and $500 for every interception during the upcoming 2026 football season, which kicks off for the Sooners Friday, September 4 at home against UTEP.
Speaking on the partnership, Okoye said, “Partnering with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation is something I feel deeply called to do. I have two family members who are first responders, and one is a firefighter. When I learned about the Foundation’s work, I knew I had to do whatever I could to help. I hope to encourage my peers to remember that even small acts of service can make a big difference. Supporting those who have sacrificed for our country and communities is a responsibility we all share.”
The T2T Student-Athlete Advocate program, launched in September 2021, empowers college student-athletes to use their Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) platforms for a meaningful cause: growing personal brands while promoting the organization’s mission to honor first responders, military veterans, and their families. To date, nearly 30 student-athletes and young professionals have collaborated with the foundation to participate in the initiative. This year, as we honor those we lost on September 11, 2001, T2T’s Student-Athlete Advocates recognize the enduring significance of that day, as well as the service of all of our first responders, active military service members, and veterans.
“We are so proud and grateful to welcome Danny to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation family. He is an exceptional athlete, but more importantly, he is an exceptional young man who is dedicated to his community and is committed to showing up for others – that spirit that drives everything we do,” said Frank Siller, Chairman and CEO of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. “My brother Stephen gave his life running toward danger so that others could live, and it is people like Danny, who feel that same sense of duty and responsibility, that keeps his legacy alive every single day.”
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is dedicated to honoring the sacrifice of FDNY Firefighter Stephen Siller, who laid down his life to save others on September 11, 2001. For over 20 years, the Foundation has supported our nation’s first responders, veterans, and their families by providing these heroes and the families they leave behind with mortgage-free homes.
To date, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has delivered more than 2,000 mortgage-free homes to catastrophically injured veterans and first responders, Gold Star families, and the families of fallen first responders who leave behind young children. The Foundation is also committed to eradicating veteran homelessness, providing over 20,000 of America’s homeless veterans with housing assistance and services to date.
About the Tunnel to Towers Foundation
Born from the tragedy of 9/11, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation carries out its mission to “do good” by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building specially adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders.
Children of the Foundation’s home recipients are offered full scholarships for undergraduate degrees and accredited trade school programs, helping secure their futures. The Foundation is also committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and helping America Never Forget September 11, 2001.
Visit T2T.org to learn more, and follow Tunnel to Towers on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
Nicholas Diamantis Manager, Media Relations - Tunnel to Towers Foundation 347-330-7309 Nicholas.Diamantis@t2t.org Sean Groman Senior Vice President - Sloane PR 718-541-1440 sgroman@sloanepr.com
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