Cliff Avril has come a long way since the Detroit Lions made him a third-round pick out of Purdue back in 2008. He played out his four-year rookie deal that paid around $4.25 million, then signed a franchise tag tender for another $10.6 million in 2012. Even after recording 39.5 sacks in five seasons, he somehow sat on the market long enough for the Seahawks to sign him for only two years and $13 million, covering the 2013 and 2014 seasons. He helped the Seahawks win a Super Bowl and come to within a few feet of winning another, then re-signed with Seattle for another four years and $28.5 million.
What's he doing with all that money? Well, he's giving back to the community that raised him. Avril hails from Jacksonville, Florida, but his parents are both Haitian -- they moved to America in the 1980s. The last two offseasons, Avril has traveled to Haiti himself, and last year, he pledged to build a house for every sack he picked up in 2016.
After notching 11.5 sacks during the 2016 season, Avril made good on his promise, building 12 houses in his parents' native home. He's been able to visit with six of the families who lived in those houses as well.
"Their old home was right next door to the one we built," Avril told ESPN.com. "They didn't have cement floors, so they were literally sleeping on the floor. When it rained during hurricane season, the floor would get really muddy. And that's what they were sleeping on. There's another home next to it. The concept is community. There will be a kitchen in the middle where they provide for each other."
Avril also renovated schools down there, investing in education.
Avril is leaning toward making the same pledge for next season, building more homes and more schools, and eventually visiting Haiti multiple times per year. It's pretty cool to see him doing this, and it's great for the people of Haiti as well.
