After Bradley Bozeman became the football field’s version of Batman — dispensing vigilante justice by pinning Saints defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd to the turf after a dangerous takedown of quarterback Justin Herbert — the Chargers center’s wife, Nikki Bozeman, drove home from SoFi Stadium on Sunday night hoping the reaction would simply stay in the family’s favor.
With a boost from the Chargers, it got even better.
After the Chargers used Bozeman’s viral moment of vigilante justice to share information about the Bradley and Nikki Bozeman Foundation on social media, more than 150 fans donated to the charity’s efforts to address food insecurity and combat bullying. With many chipping in $10 donations for No. 10 or $75 for No. 75, the foundation quickly collected more than $3,700.
“It really was something that was just a sports moment, and then it turned into something that’s been really cool to help our foundation,” Nikki said.
Nikki and Bradley have received messages thanking him for defending Herbert on a play the center called “one of the dirtiest” he’s seen.
Herbert already had shoveled the ball to running back J.K. Dobbins when Shepherd twisted the quarterback’s right ankle awkwardly to pull him to the ground.
Read more: Chargers-Saints takeaways: Ladd McConkey has big hands, and two touchdowns, in win
Bozeman pounced on Shepherd to push him off Herbert in a retaliatory action Fox play-by-play announcer Chris Myers noted could be seen as an unofficial continuation of the Bozemans’ anti-bullying campaign.
The couple initially started their foundation to educate children on the dangers of bullying. Bradley, a two-time national champion at Alabama, and Nikki, a forward for the Crimson Tide basketball team, started by cold-calling schools near Tuscaloosa. Soon they were invited to speak at schools across the state. After Bradley was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens, the speaking engagements grew into a cross-country RV trip that featured 20 schools in 18 states before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hearing feedback from kids during the pandemic, the Bozemans shifted their focus to food insecurity, partnering with food banks to pack snack boxes that are distributed by police officers to children in low-income neighborhoods. With the program already running in Baltimore and Charlotte, N.C., the Bradley and Nikki Bozeman Foundation has distributed 3.5 million meals.
After the seven-year pro signed with the Chargers this offseason, the Bozemans began working with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to finalize their plans to expand the SYNC — serving your neighbors and community — snack-box program in Los Angeles. Nikki’s intention is to ensure “the hardest-hit ZIP Codes” will be first on the list.
In addition to financial contributions, the foundation is looking for volunteers who can help pack boxes. Volunteers can sign up through the contact page on the foundation’s website.
Chargers players and staff, including coach Jim Harbaugh, volunteered in Charlotte early this season. With about 50 people from the Chargers present, the group set a record with 1,000 boxes packed in 26 minutes.
“You coming for two hours is exponentially more than what you could give us monetarily,” Nikki said. “You coming and helping and being the boots on the ground and having that experience with us to be able to change our community is so exponentially [more] helpful to us than anything else.”
The couple, who got engaged after Alabama’s 2018 football national championship when Bradley proposed in a shower of confetti on the field, have long been involved in community service.
Nikki, a 6-foot-1 forward whose 88 career blocks ranked sixth in Alabama history when she graduated in 2016, was a Senior CLASS award candidate and a nominee for the Allstate WBCA Good Works Team, which honors athletes who have shown dedication to service in their communities.
Bradley is a three-time Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, twice earning the honor in Baltimore and once in Carolina.
Read more: Chargers take Jim Harbaugh’s sometimes comical words very seriously
Considering Bradley’s genial nature, Nikki was shocked to see him react the way he did Sunday. She had seen that side of her husband only one other time: when another man wouldn’t leave her alone in a bar. Bradley shoved him to the wall.
“Coming from Bradley, someone where it’s not their baseline, it’s not their normal, you really know that something seriously did happen,” Nikki said.
Bozeman told Nikki he saw Shepherd glance toward Herbert’s right ankle, which the quarterback injured during Week 2, before continuing to twist Herbert’s leg while pulling him to the ground. Fox rules analyst Mike Pereira called the transgression “vicious” on the TV broadcast.
After seeing the criticism of the play, Saints coach Dennis Allen said he didn’t agree.
“I think it’s not accurate,” he told reporters Monday. “Here’s a guy that’s trying to wrap the quarterback up. He’s on the ground. He has no idea whether the quarterback has the ball or not. He’s just trying to bring the quarterback down to the ground. It was nothing malicious about the play. It’s a guy trying to make the play.”
The offsetting penalties negated a first down for the Chargers, but galvanized the team on its first touchdown drive of the game, a 15-play, 90-yard march that ended with a one-yard run by Dobbins.
Harbaugh said in the locker room afterward that everyone was deserving of a game ball for the victorious effort but singled out about half a dozen players, including Herbert, rookie receiver Ladd McConkey and punter JK Scott.
Bozeman received the loudest cheer.
DJ Chark Jr. nearing return
Wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. (groin) was limited in practice Wednesday but said if he continues on his current trajectory, he could be in position to make his long-awaited season debut against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
The receiver is into the final week of his 21-day window to return after being activated from injured reserve on Oct. 16.
The Chargers have until Nov. 4 to elevate Chark to the active roster or place him on season-ending injured reserve.
With Quentin Johnston (ankle) and Derius Davis (hamstring) returning to practice in a limited capacity Wednesday after missing two games, Chark believed the receiving group soon could take the field together the way it was intended.
“I can’t wait to play with my guys,” Chark said. “I love these guys, they’re great teammates. I’m just excited to come in, pull my weight — nothing more, nothing less — and help the team win.”
Etc.
Tight ends Will Dissly (shoulder) and Stone Smartt (ankle), cornerback Kristian Fulton (hamstring) and linebacker Denzel Perryman (toe) did not practice Wednesday. … Outside linebacker Joey Bosa (hip) was limited after playing 19 snaps against the Saints in his first game appearance since Week 3.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.