NASHVILLE – Dallas Woods has a special place in her daddy's heart.
And that's why Titans safety Xavier Woods had no trouble deciding what he wanted to emphasize with his cleats during the NFL's My Cause, My Cleats initiative.
Woods chose Best Buddies, with his six-year-old daughter in mind.
"She is my oldest, my first born," Xavier Woods said with a smile. "I have four kids, and she was our first. So, she'll always have a special place in our hearts."
Dallas Woods was diagnosed with autism roughly four years ago, around the same time she suffered a traumatic brain injury.
After suffering a seizure, she lost oxygen to her brain for 10-15 minutes.
The episode has impacted her day-to-day life significantly, as she's now unable to walk or talk.
"(Dallas) is basically depending on us, she chills with mom and dad," Woods said. "I wouldn't say it's a challenge, but as a parent, you have to learn how to parent differently. It takes a lot of patience, and it's not easy at all. … Their way of thinking is not necessarily our way of thinking, because they don't really know about certain things.
"Every day is a learning experience, and you learn how to parent. You do the best you can."
Woods, in his first season with the Titans, chose Best Buddies because he wants to bring awareness to other families dealing with a similar situation in their lives.
While with the Panthers last year, Woods partnered with Best Buddies in Charlotte to meet other parents of children with developmental and intellectual disabilities for a holiday event. Woods said he understands the struggles of families with special needs children, and he said he's blessed to be in a position to give back, and bring awareness.
Best Buddies serves individuals with IDD and their families. The IDD community includes, but is not limited to, people with Down syndrome, autism, Fragile X, Williams syndrome, and other undiagnosed disabilities.
My Cause My Cleats initiative is a player-led initiative where players, coaches and staff wear custom-designed cleats to spotlight the causes and nonprofits they care about most.
Artist Catherine Benita, who was born with Down syndrome, designed the cleats for Woods.
"I just want to bring awareness to special needs kids, special needs adults," Woods said. "They have a special place in my heart, and I just hope to bring awareness to help in some way. They didn't ask for this, whatever has happened to them, however they were born, whatever injury happened to them.
"You just have to love them, and care for them, because they are just like us. Their way of thinking might be the right way of thinking, you never know. Our way may be wrong. They may have superpowers and we don't know.
"The main this is just to love them and show them we care, I care."
EVERY CLEAT TELLS A STORY.
Learn more about the initiatives Titans players are supporting for this year's My Cause My Cleats campaign.
