It was less than 12 years ago when multi-time All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham set the New Orleans Saints single-season record for receiving touchdowns. Nobody else in Saints franchise history has come within four touchdowns of Graham’s total of 16 scores during the 2013 NFL season. But as of today, this is no longer the most impressive record that the Goldsboro, North Carolina holds.
According to Andrew Lang of NewOrleansSaints.com, Jimmy Graham is now part of a four-person rowing team that holds the world record for fastest time completing The Arctic Challenge, a 584 nautical mile trip from Tromsø, Norway to Longyearbyen, Svalbard. Graham’s team also included Andrew Tropp, John Huppi and Hannah Huppi, who became the first woman to complete the trip.
“After 18 months of training, the team came in at the low end of their 10-20 day estimate on how long it would take. For crews of all sizes, the average south to north Arctic crossing is 16.5 days, according to the Arctic Challenge,” Lang wrote.
Six days into the trip, Graham sent a message out on social media chronicling the progress that he and his team had made.
“It’s been raining nonstop for 24 hours. No sun for 72. We’re officially in battery conservation mode,” Graham said in an Instagram update on July 10. “Everything’s wet. Everything’s cold. But the mission? Still fully charged. We are so thankful for everyone’s continued support through this journey. Let’s go!”
Record-Setting Trip Raises Money for Groups in New Orleans
In addition to claiming a world record and shattering the previous record by five days, Graham and his group can be proud that they did so for a pair of organizations doing great and necessary work in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Covenant House New Orleans, an anti-homelessness and anti-human trafficking initiative, and Laureus Sport for Good New Orleans, a youth sports initiative, were the two groups that Graham and co. hoped to raise up to $1 million for throughout the course of their trip.
“Just wanted to remind everybody why we are out here and to go on the map and donate what you can for the kids,” Graham said during the third day of the trip. “The reason why we are sitting here, suffering so much is to bring opportunities to others so we appreciate the support.”
Jimmy Graham Continues to Make an Impact Off the Field
Although Jimmy Graham is most well-known for slam dunking over crossbars and establishing himself as a favorite target of both Drew Brees in New Orleans and Russell Wilson in Seattle, we shouldn’t overlook the work that the 38-year-old has been able to do off the field as well.
The Jimmy Graham Foundation has been working with military veterans and at-risk youth for years, and for all of his great work, he was rewarded twice over as the Chicago Bears’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in both 2020 and 2021.
Even with his NFL career in the rearview mirror, it looks like Graham remains committed to giving back.
