Don't be confused by the continuous banter between Devin and Jason McCourty.
The twins may have seemed to be in competition with each other all night at the McCourty Bowl on Monday, but the New England Patriots player and NFL Network host couldn't have been more unified in raising money and awareness for a cause so dear to their family.
"We're here to bowl for a change," Devin said in the red carpet before the celebrity bowling tournament. "Tonight, that's what this is about."
The McCourtys have passionately used their platform to benefit sickle cell research for the better part of their respective NFL careers. Inspired by their aunt Winifred's battle with the disease, their advocacy didn't stop after her passing in 2019. If anything, it intensified.
Over the years, their "Tackle Sickle Cell" campaigns have offered education, held blood drives, and raised funds for the fight against sickle cell – a disease most prevalent in Black and minority communities.
The McCourty Bowl is only the latest lane they've found to promote the cause.
"We're hoping to raise the most money we've raised in years and take over something that has now been a Patriots tradition," Devin said. "Hopefully, when I'm gone someday, another guy steps up."
The twins took over the event from James White, who retired before this season. Before it was "Sweet Feet for Strikes," the event originally belonged to former Patriots player and current assistant coach Jerod Mayo.
The "Mayo Bowl" might be on its third name in 10 years, but the partnership with Boston Medical Center remains. Devin has a seat on the hospital's board, while Jason serves on BMC's philanthropic trust. The twins also tapped in the Next Step Foundation to help their mission in shattering limitations and elevating aspirations of teenagers and young adults living with life-threatening diseases – including sickle cell.
"They represent everything we want to do when it comes to sickle cell disease and when it comes to helping out," Jason said. "You know, 70% of the patients are minorities or people who come from lower-income households. For us, that's what it's all about. Exceptional health care without exception, which is their motto. When we heard that, this is exactly the impact and the change that we want to be involved with. It has been a tremendous relationship where we've been able to help people and get back in the community."
The McCourty Twins weren't alone at the event, though.
Joining them at Kings in Boston's Seaport District for the fun and fundraising were Patriots teammates Deatrich Wise Jr., Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, Damien Harris, David Andrews, Jonathan Jones, Ja'Whaun Bentley, Hunter Henry, Nick Folk, Joe Cardona, Adrian Phillips, Lawrence Guy, Marcus Jones, Myles Bryant, Joejuan Williams, Jahlani Tavai, Kody Russey, Carl Davis, Jr, and Brenden Schooler.
It wasn't a collection of the world's best bowlers, by any means, but the McCourty Bowl was a huge success that raised $485,000.
Beyond the fundraising, though, Devin and Jason can see their hard work making a real difference.
"Sickle cell wasn't a very popular disease. A lot of people didn't realize the impact that it had on people's lives, and I think some of the work we've done has highlighted that," Devin said last week after learning of a $50 million donation to Massachusetts General Hospital by Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft, made specifically to combat the healthcare equity gap caused by race, ethnicity, geography and economic status.
"It's pretty cool for everything to come full circle and have this announcement before our charity event. Hopefully, it really benefits and helps a lot of people."
