Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) today welcomes four rising NFL stars as the newest additions to its roster of league partners. Toyota is celebrating the NFL’s elite athletes who were chosen not only for their athletic talents, but for their commitment to their communities, family, culture and NFL fans.
The athletes, whose cultural diversity is reflective of the broader NFL community and Toyota consumers around the world, join a roster that includes NFL Legend Eli Manning and San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Brock Purdy. The latest additions to Team Toyota include:
- Puka Nacua, Wide Receiver, Los Angeles Rams
- After a breakout first season, Nacua quickly established himself as a dynamic playmaker and earned recognition as one of the top players in the 2023 NFL Draft class. A proud Toyota GR Supra and Toyota Tundra driver, his infectious personality and unlikely path to the NFL makes him a fan favorite.
- Nacua, who lost his father to complications with diabetes when he was 12 years old, supports The Diabetes Foundation’s mission to enhance the well-being of those either living with or vulnerable to diabetes. His work also extends to Single Moms Planet, an organization that partners with financial and business institutions to support programs and resources for single mothers.
- Kyle Hamilton, Safety, Baltimore Ravens
- Hamilton has defied on-field labels by recording snaps at safety, cornerback and linebacker. He’s as versatile a player as they come, similar to his Tundra TRD Pro, which pairs rugged capability with premium comfort and advanced technology. He pushes his limits off the field as well; Kyle is a member of Mensa International, a non-profit organization that recognizes high-IQ individuals that score within the top 2% of an approved intelligence test.
- The Greece-born Hamilton also offers a worldly sensibility to his work away from the field, as he hosted football camps for youth on military bases including Humphreys Military Base in South Korea.
- Michael Pittman Jr., Wide Receiver, Indianapolis Colts
- Though NFL toughness runs in his family, Pittman’s journey into football wasn’t an easy one. He draws on his own experience of overcoming a stutter in his youth to promote reading skills to elementary school students. He supported the National Stuttering Association, a group support organization that seeks to enhance the lives of people who stutter, educate the public and advocate to eradicate the stigma of stuttering, by promoting the organization on his cleats for the NFL’s annual My Cause My Cleats campaign.
- Pittman brings an unyielding, workmanlike style to the wide receiver position, which makes it no surprise that he prefers the Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro, which offers unparalleled power and acceleration – much like his style of play.
- Christian Gonzalez, Cornerback, New England Patriots
- Though Gonzalez is already a defensive cornerstone for New England, he still competes for a title among his siblings: best athlete in the family. His sister Melissa, a world-class hurdler, aims to compete in The Paris 2024 Olympic Games for Colombia.
- Christian credits his family for his competitive drive. He is inspired by his father, who immigrated to the United States from Colombia to immerse himself in a new culture and chase his dream of playing basketball. Gonzalez drives a Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro and proudly honors Colombia and the sacrifices his father made, as part of his journey to the NFL in hopes of inspiring the next-generation of Latino football players.
“We are excited to partner with and highlight the unexpected and inspiring journeys of these rising NFL stars,” said Michael Tripp, group vice president, Toyota division marketing. “Their character, passion for the game and authentic engagement connects with NFL fans and the Toyota brand. As our partners, we look forward to celebrating their achievements on the field and in their local communities.”
The players will appear in programming and content to engage fans throughout the 2024 NFL season, as part of Toyota’s official partnership with the NFL. Together, the expanded Team Toyota will bring its shared mission with the NFL to communities of fans across the nation by way of in-person events and activations, content campaigns and other ways to bring fans closer to the game.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 29 electrified options.
For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.