United Soccer Coaches made it known that defender, Raymon Gaddis has been named as the recipient of this year's Jerry Yeagley Award for Exceptional Personal Achievement, this is to be awarded on Jan. 16 during the USC convention.
Each year this honor is bestowed upon an ex-NCAA athlete for doing things above and beyond service to the game at large. It is named after the US Soccer legend, who ruled the game with the IU Hoosiers for many decades. We have been honored to have known him since 1985 or so.
USC Pres, Kevin Sims informed, "How fitting for an Indiana favorite son to receive the Jerrry Yeagley Award for Exceptional Personal Achievement. Ray has excelled on the field for the 2020 Supporters Shield winning Union, a top defender for sometime now, tops in club lore with games started and minutes played. Ray has leveraged his success and platform to benefit the Philadelphia area and the nation through meaningful philanthropy, community service and social activism. United Soccer Coaches proudly salutes Ray."
Out of Indianapolis IN, he became the most awarded of all defenders in West VA history, helping to get them 2X to the NCAA's. An All-BIG EAST twice over and a first time All-Regional player in 2009, selected as an All-American both at the collegiate and HS level, he was a BIG-EAST Academic All-Star and Honor Roll member at WVU.
Still with the team that made him the #2 selection overall in the MLS SuperDraft 2012, his 9 year career has him with 220 games and 18,702 minutes, while tied for most games in a season at 34.
What actually got him this award are his community activities in Philly, Indy and elsewhere. A founding member and executive board member of MLS' Black Players for Change, they were the 2020 MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year.
He played a role in the mini-pitch with BPC in Newark and the US Soccer Foundation, adidas & Musco Lighting, The first of a dozen such ones to be built nationwide in an effort to get more minority children involved in soccer.
For the last 6 years he has linked up with Chipolte and Honeygrown, getting meals to the Philadelphia homeless. The Salvation Army and Bethesda House have also benefitted from his actions in delivering meals to a safe space for those with need, doing the same in Indy. In Indy, he delivers food, clothing coats and insulated blanket to one of their tent cities.
He joined forces with the NFL Players Coalition in getting internet and hotspots to 283 families without access so that they may keep up with the others from school with internet access.
With Philly mayor, Jim Kenney he took part in a virtual voting roundtable to get out the value of voting, taking the reins with the Union's pop-up voter service center at Subaru Park.