On a night dedicated to celebrating champions both on and off the field, the Pro Football Retired Players Association brought together retired NFL players, family, friends, fans and supporters for the 3rd Annual PFRPA Champions Banquet on Thursday, September 17. This year, the annual event was held in Atlanta, Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Sky Bridge event space provided guests with a stunning view of the Falcons’ home field on one side and the downtown Atlanta skyline on the other, creating a picture-perfect setting.
The evening began with a cocktail hour, giving guests the opportunity to connect with members of the retired player community and take in the Atlanta skyline. Throughout the night, guests bid on memorabilia in the silent auction, courtesy of A-Town Authentics; entered a sunglasses raffle; and stopped by the PFRPA donations table, where every contribution came with an opportunity to take home some PFRPA swag. The evening continued with a three-course meal and the PFRPA Champions Awards ceremony. The night concluded with a surprise golden ticket hidden at each table that gave one lucky guest the chance to take home a PFRPA mini helmet that served as the table’s centerpiece.
This year’s event built upon the success of the organization’s legacy events, first held in Green Bay, Wisconsin in 2024 and in Houston, Texas in 2025. Like previous years, the night celebrated retired NFL players making a positive impact, and who have made significant contributions to the communities they serve. The individuals honored this year included retired Atlanta Falcons’ players Brian Jordan, Ovie Mughelli and Matt Ryan. While each honoree has taken a different path after football, all three have continued to make a lasting impact in their communities.
Celebrating our PFRPA Champions Award Honorees
Brian Jordan, Retired Atlanta Falcons Safety, Major League Baseball (MLB) Outfielder and Founder of The Brian Jordan Foundation (BJF)
Jordan founded The Brian Jordan Foundation in 1998 with the goal of helping children strive to reach their full potential. Through its programs, BJF provides local youth with access to quality education, literacy awareness, health education and financial assistance for economically disadvantaged students. Jordan is also the author of six books centered on empowering children.
Ovie Mughelli, Retired Atlanta Falcons Fullback and Environmental Advocate
Mughelli is committed to serving communities through education, healthcare, environmental stewardship and youth development initiatives. He currently serves on the boards of Communities In Schools of Atlanta, the Northside Hospital Foundation and the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center Advisory Board. Recently, Mughelli joined PFRPA strategic alliance partner Ocean Conservancy as a Team Ocean Coach for their Protect Where We Play initiative. A former Walter Payton Man of the Year recipient, Mughelli is a passionate advocate for the environment and utilizes sport to inspire the next generation.
Matt Ryan, Retired Atlanta Falcons Quarterback, Falcons’ President of Football and Founder of ATL: Advance The Lives
Ryan founded ATL: Advance The Lives in 2020 alongside his wife, Sarah Ryan, to alleviate structural barriers to Black youth success by working with after-school programs to increase the social capital of Black youth and their families. The Foundation’s main initiatives support after-school programs in South and West Atlanta by funding opportunities for joy. Through this initiative, ATL has funded trips to Disney World, overnight camp and the circus. In the years following the pandemic, ATL provided emergency support to families engaged with ATL partners, which resulted in assisting families facing medical emergencies, utility shut offs and evictions. Recently, ATL has been working alongside the Falcons to connect Falcons Legends to smaller after-school programs in the city to build more support around Atlanta’s Black youth.
While Ryan was unable to attend the event, Taylor Stanley, Program Director at ATL: Advance the Lives, accepted the award on his behalf and shared a video acceptance speech from Ryan himself.
Charlie B Takes the Mic
As the Falcons’ In-Game Host, Charlie B knows how to command a crowd and brought his signature personality to the PFRPA Champions Banquet, serving as the emcee for the night. He showed great energy, humor and sincere appreciation towards the honorees, retired players and guests in attendance. As a lifelong Falcons fan himself, Charlie B’s genuine excitement was evident throughout the evening.
The Community Behind the Celebration
We extend a heartfelt thank you to our event sponsors: Hall of Fame Health, Medtronic and VSP Vision Care. We would also like to thank PFRPA Corporate Gold Sponsor, Virta Health. This special event would not have been possible without their generous support. We are deeply grateful for their partnership in celebrating retired players and continuing to honor those making a positive impact in the community.
In addition to our honorees, several retired NFL players attended the event. Thank you, Marvin Booker, Edgar Fields, Darrell Hackney, Bobby Howard, Joel Iyiegbuniwe, Isaiah Johnson, Eric Matthews and Daryl Whittington for supporting our mission.
They joined PFRPA Board Members Mike Haynes and Ahman Green, PFRPA Board President Ron Mix and PFRPA Board Vice-Chair Dave Robinson.
All proceeds from the event went to the PFRPA Greater Good Fund, PFRPA's 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, which supports benefits, programs and initiatives for retired NFL players. Thank you to our event sponsors, retired players and guests who attended on the night to support our mission!
