River Cracraft to support Hilinski’s Hope with custom cleats

Denver Broncos receiver River Cracraft will honor the memory of Tyler Hilinski by wearing special Hilinski’s Hope-branded cleats this weekend for the NFL’s annual “My Cause, My Cleats” weekend.

A few weekends a year, the NFL permits players to wear custom cleats to support a cause they believe in, with some of the game-worn cleats auctioned off to benefit the player’s designated charity. Cracraft chose to honor Hilinski, who died by suicide last January and with whom he was a teammate in 2015 and 2016 with the Washington State Cougars.

“My college teammate, QB Tyler Hilinski, was one of the happiest guys I knew,” Cracraft said. “Nobody would have ever thought he battled depression or struggled. He died by suicide this past year and I want to honor him and his family, and help raise awareness about mental health.”

You can view the full list of NFL participants here.

According to its website, “Hilinski’s Hope Foundation is a non-profit organization formed to promote awareness and education of mental health and wellness for student athletes. The Foundation’s mission is to educate, advocate, and remove the stigma associated with mental illness, while funding programs that provide student-athletes with the tools and resources that support their mental health and wellness.”

CougCenter and Cougfan.com partnered earlier this year to raise more than $13,000 for the foundation. If you’d like to donate to Hilinski’s Hope, you can do so here.