Pat Surtain II is unquestionably the Broncos best player. The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year continues to not only set a standard for his team on the field, but off it as well, with the work that his Pat Surtain II Foundation is doing across metro Denver(as well as in Florida).
Last year he installed two “PS2 Inspiration Rooms” which provided both Manual and George Washington High School with state of the heart equipment focused on areas of Science, Technology, Electronics, Arts and Mathematics aka S.T.E.A.M.
In June he announced that his foundation was creating a grant program to help area teachers to enhance their classrooms and provide tools to improve their ability to do their jobs even better.
Tuesday morning, the foundation announced a new partnership with Campus, the modern two-year college built for the next generation of creators, entrepreneurs, and leaders. The Surtain II Scholars program will provide up to 40 students with up to $20,000 in tuition scholarships toward Campus’s associate degrees, live online courses taught by professors from top universities, a personal success coach, laptop, and WiFi.
“This scholarship is an extension of my foundation’s commitment to improving access to education to all students. Any student with the desire to continue to their education can do so,” Surtain told Guerilla Sports. “The ideal applicant is a hard worker, one who is contributing to their family and community, so we’ll look beyond the classroom, and the student’s commitment to become more, despite their disadvantages.”
Campus was founded by tech entrepreneur Tade Oyerinde, and is backed by some of the most successful entrepreneurs and investors including Sam Altman, Peter Thiel of Founders Fund, and Dr. Shaquille O'Neal, who has always stressed the importance of education, despite his tremendous success on the basketball court and in the business world.
Oyerinde joined Surtain on a zoom call Tuesday with Guerilla Sports and detailed how the partnership originated, “We’re looking for real, authentic, inspirational influencers and if you look at modern athletes, people like Pat, rising star, (NFL) Defensive Player of the Year it was kind of an obvious fit,” he said. “And you combine that with the work his foundation was already doing, with the Inspiration Rooms, I was in one, in Denver, it just made a lot of sense for us to partner. The idea is he’s got the brand. A lot of young guys look up to him…A lot of young men are not going to college at the rates that they should be. There’s a lot of young guys that have the talent, but they don’t have the grades to even go D-1 or D-2. So, the idea here is, let’s partner with some of those people that folks look up to, Shaquille O’Neal, Pat Surtain, these kinds of influential folks to get the word out.” He added that combining forces with people like that allows the finances to make sense.
Surtain’s dedication to education is steadfast. He was lucky enough to be born into a family with a father who was an All-Pro Cornerback, who played 11 NFL seasons. He played for his Dad, Patrick Surtain, at one of the most prestigious high schools in Florida. All of the advantages he had growing up aren’t lost on the 2-Time All-Pro, “I’ve had people in my corner since day one—coaches, mentors, folks who pushed me to be better on and off the field,” said Surtain. “Now it’s my turn to do the same. This scholarship is about helping young people believe in themselves and go after what’s possible.”
The clock is ticking for the Surtain Scholars applications to be submitted for this academic year. Aspiring students have until September 1st to apply, and can do so at https://surtainscholars.campus.edu.
Surtain’s foundation was established in 2023, and despite all they’ve accomplished, including raising $250,000 at his “Mile High Dreams Gala” last October, PS2 knows they are just scratching the surface. “I’m very happy, and it definitely has exceeded my expectations,” Surtain said. “Starting off this foundation, I had a thought of just giving back to the community. But now having realized just how big the Denver community was…At the end of the day, this is not about me, this about the people involved within the foundation, and the whole mission is to give back to students at a financial disadvantage compared to their suburban peers. This is about giving back, and it definitely exceeded my expectations.”
