If anything matches John Lynch's reputation as a fierce hitter on the field, it has been his work on behalf of children and teenagers in the Tampa Bay area.
Now, his departure from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has some wondering what will happen to his far-reaching charitable works.
Beyond public service announcements and the United Way, Lynch's principal vehicle has been the John Lynch Foundation, which offers scholarships and internships, and recognizes those who excel in athletics, academics and community involvement.
Begun in 2000 by Lynch and his wife, Linda, the foundation includes the Star of the Month, which honors eight students a month, and Lynch's Safety Zone, which gives home game tickets to children and their chaperones.
The Lynch Family Legacy Scholarship gives $5,000 to local students each year, and for the past seven years, the couple has hosted a Christmas party to benefit the neediest members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
During a conference call Thursday, Lynch said at least some of the foundation's work will continue after he leaves the Bucs.
"We're going to put some things in transition," he said. "The foundation is one of the things I'm most proud of. One of our initial goals was to establish an endowed scholarship, and we've accomplished that. That will go on.
"I don't know exactly what the plans are beyond that."
Lynch said he "absolutely" would continue to be involved in the foundation.
"I was very fortunate to be taught by my parents and other people that you have a responsibility," Lynch said. "I learned that once you're put in a position like mine, it's a great opportunity to get things done, to make people's lives better.
"It became almost like playing. We take pride at what we were able to accomplish, but it was only possible through all the people who helped."
Lynch won't be the first Buc to leave the team and remain active in the community. Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn, who played for the Bucs from 1997-2001, continues to give low-income single mothers in the Tampa Bay area $5,000 toward the purchase of a home as part of his Homes for the Holidays program.
On the other hand, the Hardy Nickerson Foundation ended when the popular linebacker left the team after the 1999 season.
While football fans will miss Lynch's highlight film tackles, others will miss the community work he did, often out of the spotlight.
"I know John has been very generous with his time in the Tampa Bay area," said Dave Gerber, administrative director for patient and family services at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg. "And things like that have a huge effect on the kids. They just brighten up."
As an example of how a player's departure can affect the children they meet, Gerber cited Bucs tight end Dave Moore, a regular visitor to All Children's who was released after the 2001 season, played for the Buffalo Bills, and was re-signed by Tampa Bay earlier this month.
"When Dave was first released by the Bucs, there was a grief reaction by the kids because they thought they wouldn't see him anymore," Gerber said Thursday. "I was talking to three kids who had met him the day before he was cut, and two of them were actually crying. That's how meaningful these visits are."
Monsignor Laurence Higgins, of Tampa's St. Lawrence Catholic Church, has been a friend of John and Linda Lynch for years. He also has served on the advisory board of the John Lynch Foundation since its inception.
"There have been better days," Higgins said Thursday. "This was a terrible shock."
But Higgins said he felt heartened to learn that the Lynch foundation will live on.
"I'm sure he'll do everything in his power to (continue on)," Higgins said. "If he can, he will."
Whatever form Lynch's foundation takes after his release from the Bucs, Higgins said he gladly will continue to serve. He certainly isn't ready to consider Tampa Bay without the foundation.
"We would lose a lot," he said. "We'd lose an example of generosity of spirit that both John and Linda have. ... They are a wonderful example of what people should be."
