Visitors to Bru’s Public House in Carrboro this past month may have seen a unique item on display. A pair of game-worn NFL cleats sat on one of the tables. The cleats bore not only the logo of the local non-profit TABLE, but also the autograph of a former UNC superstar: quarterback Sam Howell.
Howell has worked with TABLE, which works to fight food insecurity for local families, for several years now, dating back to the early days of NIL. His game-worn cleats from 2023 were being used as part of a contest, where Tar Heel fans could enter to win a signed photo and a video message from Howell, as well as VIP tickets to TABLE’s upcoming Empty Bowls fundraiser this weekend.
Howell’s collaboration with TABLE – his first NIL partnership – started small. He quietly packed and delivered food to families in need around the community. It harkened back to Howell’s childhood, and affected him in a deeply personal way.
“I didn’t grow up in the best of areas,” Howell told Chapelboro, “and it just really hit my heart that there were a lot of kids in Chapel Hill that weren’t getting food and were suffering from food insecurity. So it made a lot of sense for me to get involved.”
Sam Howell’s signed, game-worn cleats featuring the TABLE logo were on display at Bru’s Public House in Carrboro in September. (Image via TABLE)
Prior to Howell volunteering, TABLE and local student-athletes had existed in two separate spheres. Executive director Ashton Tippins told Chapelboro that during her more than decade of experience with TABLE, she hadn’t worked with any Tar Heel players – until Howell showed up.
Tippins said the partnership has been a game-changer. The star quarterback of the local football team brought a lot of eyes – and a lot of money – to the organization. TABLE began hosting a fundraising event (separate from its annual Empty Bowls fundraiser) in collaboration with members of the UNC athletic department, as well as star athletes like Howell. The now-annual event, which includes an auction, has been a massive financial boon for TABLE. Tippins traces that success back to Howell’s generosity.
“We were still working things out operationally from the pandemic and making some changes,” Tippins told Chapelboro. “So for him to be willing to take that on and even be flexible with what that looked like, it’s been a huge deal for us. Over the past four years, we’ve raised over $1 million just because of this one event in partnership with Sam. And it would not have happened without a few people, Sam being one of those key folks. It wouldn’t have happened without Sam.”
The event is co-hosted by Vaughn Moore, vice chair of The Rams Club and a donor for the football program, and someone who has worked closely with Howell for years. Moore spoke highly of his mentee, saying his off-the-field accomplishments equal those on it.
“He’s just a special young man with maturity beyond his years,” Moore told Chapelboro. “When you talk about quarterbacks being put on a pedestal, he deserves to be put on a pedestal for all the right reasons. Not just because he’s a quarterback and not because of his performances or the records he broke at Carolina.”
“He’s just a special young man,” Rams Club vice chair Vaughn Moore said of former UNC QB Sam Howell. (Image via Associated Press/Gerry Broome)
Upon reaching the NFL, Howell became aware of the league’s annual “My Cause, My Cleats” initiative, during which players can choose to wear specialty cleats honoring a charity close to their heart. Howell’s choice was easy: he picked TABLE. He did it quietly; so quietly, in fact, that Moore and others at TABLE were pleasantly surprised to see their logo on national TV.
“He just does things without fanfare. We would’ve loved to promote that more,” Moore said with a laugh. “But he just does it because it’s the right thing to do. He chose TABLE back home in Chapel Hill, and that’s pretty special.”
The 2025 season is Howell’s fourth in the NFL. Now with the Philadelphia Eagles, his schedule is the busiest it’s ever been. But Howell still does what he can to help TABLE from afar, saying the effort is more than worth it.
“It’s one of those things where if it’s important to you, you’ll make time for it,” Howell said. “That’s how I try to live my life. Even though I have a busy schedule and a lot of things going on, there’s certain things that you find ways to make time for and put an effort into. And this is definitely one of those things.”
The ripple effect from Howell’s efforts is real. This year, Tippins says TABLE is working with UNC athletes from both the field hockey and wrestling programs. She relayed this information while sitting in TABLE’s new headquarters in downtown Carrboro, another benefit of the non-profit’s increased fundraising efforts. Howell, the man who started it all, encourages anyone and everyone with an interest in public service to contribute.
“College kids can’t give much from a financial aspect,” he said, “but they can give their time. A lot of my teammates in college and guys that are still there now are giving their time and giving their effort. It means a lot to them, means a lot to me and definitely means a lot to the families.”
Many UNC football players continued to volunteer at TABLE after Howell left Chapel Hill, such as at this event in 2023. (Image via Heels4Life)
To learn more about TABLE’s 13th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser or to donate, click here.
Featured image via Associated Press
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