NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice has already proven he’s one of the greatest to ever play the game. But this time, the NFL icon just changed lives without stepping on the field.
The Hall of Famer and his wife, Latisha Pelayo, wiped out over $667,000 in student lunch debt at 103 schools across the country, helping thousands of children avoid the stress of unpaid balances at school.
“No child should ever step into a classroom hungry,” Rice said. “Our responsibility is to plant strong seeds for the next generation to thrive.”
Before launching the initiative, Rice visited a Bay Area elementary school to see firsthand how unpaid lunch debt impacts students. What started as a local visit turned into a nationwide push to erase that burden for families everywhere.
The impact was immediate. Social media users applauded the move, calling it one of the most meaningful acts they’ve seen from a sports legend. And Rice’s good deed sparked even more action. Several Silicon Valley entrepreneurs have pledged to match the donation, expanding support to additional school districts across California.
This isn’t Rice’s first time taking action on social issues. He and fellow 49ers legend Steve Young have long worked together to spotlight food insecurity in the Bay Area.
At the same time, the national conversation around student lunch debt continues. A bill introduced earlier this year in the Senate, called the School Lunch Debt Cancellation Act of 2025, aims to eliminate the issue entirely. But so far, the legislation remains stalled in Congress.
