A friendly wager between twins Devin and Jason McCourty led to the Titans cornerback donning the Pat Patriot suit this weekend in Foxborough.
!It's not surprising that twin brothers who've been competing all their lives would even put a wager on something as inherently altruistic as a charity event. That was the case last spring when Patriots safety Devin McCourty and his twin brother Jason, a cornerback for the Titans, were raising money for their Tackle Sickle Cell charity event in their home state of New Jersey.
The bet called for the loser to fly to the winner's city and make an appearance wearing the mascot costume of the winner's team. Devin raised more money for their 5K Run/Walk, and Jason graciously donned the Pat Patriot getup on Saturday outside of the Patriots Pro Shop at Gillette Stadium.
Much like the twins themselves, the competition was virtually identical with Devin raising $13,810 and Jason raising $13,775.
"It came down to the wire," Jason told NJ.com. "It was a close race. He edged me out. He had a little bit of a stronger following up here in the Northeast so he beat me by a little."
Jason McCourty of the Tennessee Titans dressed up as Pat Patriot at the Patriots ProShop to make good on losing a competition with twin brother Devin McCourty which raised funds for the "Tackle Sickle Cell" campaign.
The McCourtys spent 90 minutes at the Pro Shop but Devin only made his brother wear the suit for about 10 minutes before the brothers signed autographs for fans. This year's run takes place at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, N.J., June 14.
The brothers are no strangers to Sickle Cell and that was a big reason they chose to partner with a non-profit that supports children and families battling Sickle Cell and were thrilled to find Embrace Kids Foundation, a non-profit that supports children and families battling the disease.
"Sickle Cell disease affected us at a young age because my father carried the trait. I remember we took blood test at 5 years old to see if we carried the trait as well and it was a relief when we learned we didn't," Devin said. "That didn't end the journey with Sickle Cell because both our aunt and uncle had the disease."
"Growing up we were very close to our aunt Winifred and she battles with the disease daily going through many trials and tribulations. Her passion to keep fighting through everything that comes her way has driven us to try to make a difference and draw awareness to the terrible disease," added Jason.
