Kansas City Chiefs

Eric Berry on viral act of kindness: ’I don't do it for the attention'

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

Sports Illustrated, Dan Gartland/Sports Illustrated

Chiefs safety Eric Berry didn't intend for a good deed last week to become a news story. He was just doing something he does all the time.

Berry was in Knoxville, Tennessee, on June 7, bought meals for three homeless people and then got on his knees to pray with them. A bystander who saw what Berry did recounted the story on Facebook, where her post has garnered over 4,000 shares.

The former Tennessee star was contacted but the Knoxville News Sentinel but shied from the spotlight and declined to comment. He did, though, address the gesture after Tuesday's practice.

“It's nothing new,” Berry told reporters Tuesday, according to ESPN.com. “It's just something I learned from my parents. They always talk about how blessed you are and always taking other people into consideration. That's just it, not always thinking about yourself, trying to put somebody else before you. That's just something I've always done.

“I just happened to see them, just asked them if they were hungry and if they wanted something to eat. I asked them what they wanted, got it and brought it back. The dude, one of the guys, asked me to pray for him, so I just prayed for him.”

Berry added that he's done this sort of thing so many times before he's lost track.

“I don't do it for the attention,” Berry said. “I do it to better myself and just give back. That's what you should do it for. If somebody looks at it and is like, ’Hey, maybe I should help feed a homeless person today' or something like that, it's cool.”

Berry, who signed a six-year, $78 million contract in February, also has a charitable foundation dedicated to helping children participate in sports.