Prince Harry leaves players starstruck at NFL Honors after quick dash to see cancer-stricken King Charles
Prince Harry left NFL players starstruck at Thursday’s Honors ceremony following his brief trans-Atlantic dash to see his cancer-stricken father King Charles.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, attended the star-studded event in Las Vegas, where he presented the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award to Pittsburgh Steelers star Cameron Heyward.
And although Heyward snagged the highest honor of the night, the defensive tackle was more shocked at seeing Harry up onstage with him.
“That’s freaking Harry,” Heyward quipped after receiving his award. “Man, I’m in shock. That’s Prince Harry.”
The Duke, who attended the ceremony solo, praised Heyward for being “a player who goes above and beyond” and noted that his “extraordinary commitment to helping others is a reflection of his own story.”
“All you guys do on and off the field is truly remarkable,” the father of two said onstage.
“You are role models for millions in the way you carry yourselves and the way you give back. This final award — the highest honor — is all about serving your community.”
Heyward, 34, was honored for his work with The Heyward House, which he founded in 2015. The organization helps kids from all kinds of backgrounds needing extra support.
Harry also poked fun at the NFL, joking that the US “stole rugby from us and made it your own.”
“Instead of passing it backward. Just pass it forward. Why not wear pads and a helmet? And why not take a breather every 15 seconds?” Harry quipped. “And you know what, instead of a 10-month season, let’s just make it 18 weeks. Genius!”
It remains to be seen if Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, will attend Sunday’s Super Bowl where the Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers.
Harry’s mad dash to Sin City follows hot on the heels of his blink-and-you-miss-it trip to London to visit his ailing father, who was recently diagnosed with cancer.
Just 24 hours after landing on home soil — less than an hour of which was spent with his father — Harry was already en route back to Montecito, Calif., to be reunited with Markle and their two children.
Harry reportedly stayed at a luxe London hotel during his one-night getaway, rather than staying with family at one of their many royal residences peppered across the country.
According to Charles’ former butler Grant Harrold, the duke decided to stay at a hotel to show the royal family that he was capable of “supporting himself” financially.
It’s believed that Harry did not see his estranged brother Prince William during his quick stint in England, nor his sister-in-law Kate Middleton, who is currently recovering from her recent abdominal surgery.
