WHAT THE HAIRCAST IS.
YOU HAVE TO TAME IT DOWN.
>> THANKS, BRITTA.
>>> YOU SEE THEM SUITING UP IN A
TEXANS UNIFORM --
>> BUT OFF THE FIELD LINEBACKER
WHITNEY MERCILUS HAS A DIFFERENT
GAME STRATEGY, ONE HELPING
AUTISM RESEARCH.
>> WE'RE JOINED BY A SPECIAL
GUEST, WHITNEY MERCILUS.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> DEFINITELY.
>> NEW MISSION FOR YOU.
OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE OUR SEASON.
WE'LL TALK FOOTBALL LATER, BUT
WE'RE HERE FOR A MORE IMPORTANT
MISSION, TACKLING AUTISM.
>> JESS.
>> YOU'RE WITH MERCY FOUNDATION.
YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING PRETTY
INTERESTING.
FOCUSING ON DIFFERENT ISSUES
YEAR AFTER YEAR.
FOR 2017 I KNOW AUTISM WAS
SOMETHING THAT STRUNG YOU AS
IMPORTANT.
WHY?
>> YEAH.
SO FIRST OF ALL, THE FOUNDATION,
WE WANTED TO TACKLE --
PERSONALLY I WANTED TO TACKLE
EVERY TYPE OF DISABILITY THAT'S
OUT THER BUT JUST TO GIVE THE
IDENTIFY FOR THIS FOUNDATION.
-- IDENTITY FOR THIS
FOUNDATION.
WE DECIDED WHAT -- SOME OF MOST
PREVALENT DISABILITIES OUT THERE
THAT ARE AFFECTING FAMILIES OUT
THERE.
AND AUTISM WAS THE ONE THAT
REALLY STUCK FOR THE FIRST ONE
TO GO ABOUT.
AND SO THAT'S HOW WE CAME UP
WITH THE DECISION FOR THIS YEAR.
>> WHAT WAS IT ABOUT AUTISM?
YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING
THROUGH A CHILD'S MIND AND IT'S
HARD TO GRET YOUR OWN MIND --
GET YOUR OWN MIND ABOUT IT.
>> IT AFFECTS ONE IN 68
CHILDREN, ONE OUT OF 42 BOYS.
AND IT'S -- ECT FASS THEIR
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORS AND -- IT
AFFECTS THEIR COGNITIVE
BEHAVIORS.
AND IT COSTS ABOUT $60,000 PER
FAMILY.
>> PER FAMILY.
>> PER CHILD.
AND.
>> AND THAT'S PER YEAR.
YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT CAN GET
REALLY EXPENSIVE.
>> RIGHT.
I WANTED TO HELP TRY TO HELP OUT
FAMILIES.
KIND OF MITIGATE THEIR COSTS,
HELP THEM OUT.
AFFORD THESE TYPE OF BILLS FOR
PHARMACEUTICALS OR MEDICAL
EQUIPMENT.
THE FOCUS IS TO HELP OUT
FOUNDATIONS THAT ARE HELPING
BUILD SMALL -- HELPING FAMILIES
DIRECTLY.
>> AND THERE ARE A LOT OF
ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO A LOT OF
GREAT WORK.
AND YOU'RE IN THE PROCESS OF
WHAT, INTERVIEWING, OF TALKING
WITH SOME OF THESE
ORGANIZATIONS?
WHAT'S THAT PROCESS LIKE?
>> YOU KNOW, PRETTY MUCH WE GET
ABOUT -- A LIST OF THREE OR FOUR
ORGANIZATIONS AND MEET WITH
THOSE THREE OR FOUR AND DECIDE
WHO HAS THE BEST VALUES THAT
MATCH UP WITH WHAT THE
FOUNDATION, OUR CORE VALUES.
SO WE'LL DECIDE HERE WITHIN THIS
YEAR TO DONATE TO THE FIRST
FOUNDATION.
>> AND PART OF THE WAY YOU RAISE
MONEY I KNOW IS WITH THE DINE
WITH MERCY FOUNDATION DINNER,
WHICH IS SEPTEMBER 25th AT
YOUR FLAUNT, ONE-FIFTH, JUST --
YOUR RESTAURANT, ONE-FIFTH, JUST
OPENED.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GOALS FOR
THIS YEAR?
>> THIS YEAR TO RAISE MORE
PROCEEDS, OF COURSE.
NUMBER ONE OF COURSE.
AND JUST ALLOW PEOPLE TO COME
OUT, HAVE FUN.
DEFINITELY HAVE SOME OF MY
TEAMMATES COME OUT AND SUPPORT
THE CAUSE AND ALL THAT.
SO JUST -- JUST A WIN-WIN
SITUATION FOR PEOPLE TO ENJOY,
STARS LIKE US AND DONATE TO A
GREAT CAUSE AND HELP OUT
FAMILIES.
>> YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S SO
IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO START THIS
FOUNDATION.
YOU HAVE A REAL SOFT SPOT FOR
THE CHILDREN, DON'T YOU?
>> YEAH, I ACTUALLY DO.
SINCE I'VE BEEN IN THE NFL, THE
ENTIRE TIME, MY FIVE GOING ON
SIX NFL SEASONS, I'VE VISITED
WITH HOSPITALS, VISITED WITH
CHILDREN IN THOSE HOSPITALS.
AND IT JUST REALLY TOUCHES MY
HEART BECAUSE THESE CHILDREN --
THEY'RE THE FUTURE.
AND I STARTED -- EVERYBODY
STARTED AS A CHILD.
SO WHY NOT BE ABLE TO HELP THEM
BRIGHTEN UP THEIR FUTURE AND
ALLOW THEM TO -- OR PAVE A WAY
FOR THEIR FUTURE TO -- FOR THE
SUCCESS OF THIS COUNTRY AND
STUFF.
>> INDEED.
WHEN WE LOOK AT AUTISM AND YOU
SEE THE STRUGGLES THAT FAMILIES
HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH, I
REALIZE WHY THIS IS SO BIG FOR
YOU.
SO ANYWAY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE
SOME MORE INFORMATION AT
CLICK2HOUSTON.COM.
FOR THE DINNER COMING UP FOR
THIS SEPTEMBER.
BUT LET'S TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT THE
FOOTBALL SEASON.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO
MOST AS YOU GET READY FOR THIS
OFFSEASON?
>> MA HONESTLY, JUST TO
IMPROVE, JUST -- JUST MAKE THAT
EXTRA PUSH TO MAKE IT TO THE
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.
HONESTLY.
AND WE WERE CLOSE LAST YEAR.
SO -- YOU KNOW, WHAT BETTER WAY
TO ACTUALLY GO BACK THERE THIS
YEAR AND RESPOND IN A WAY THAT
PEOPLE DON'T EXPECT US TO.
>> TWO POINTS THAT EVERYONE IS
TALKING ABOUT, THE QUARTERBACK
SITUATION.
WHAT'S YOUR READ ON THAT?
>> I DON'T MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
I'M JUST A PLAYER, THAT IS IT.
>> ON THE DEFENSIVE SIDE, YOUR
BUDDY J.J. WATT IS COMING BACK.
>> EXACTLY.
HAPPY TO HAVE HIM BACK.
HE LOOKS GREAT.
LOOKS GREAT.
THEY'RE WORKING OUT FULL FORCE
AND EVERYTHING.
SO I CAN'T WAIT TO HAVE HIM
ADDED TO THE ARSENAL THAT WE
ALREADY HAVE.
AND DEFINITELY CAUSE SOME
TERROR.
>> GOOD TO SPEAK WITH YOU.
GREAT WORK WITH AUTISM.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING
WHAT CHARITY YOU END UP LOSING.
>> YOU CAN CHECK OUT AT
MERCY.ORG.