SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Mario Addison doesn't have to look far to be reminded of how tough this offseason has been.
The Carolina Panthers defensive end simply looks at his cleats.
Whether they are on his feet or in his locker, Addison will see the faces of Corey, William and Quan, three of six family members and friends that died since the start of the year.
All six were airbrushed onto the cleats by Ryan Bare of Sneaker Replay Customs in nearby Denver, North Carolina.
Bare sent Addison a picture and video of the cleats earlier this summer in time for the 29-year-old's youth football camp. He recently delivered them to training camp at Wofford College along with those of several other players he represents.
"I lit up," Addison said of his reaction when he first saw the cleats. "It kind of brought tears to my eyes."
Out of respect for the families of those that died, most at a young age, Addison politely declined to go into detail about each individual. He said only that "at the beginning of the year it was rough on me."
Addison actually got word that one died while he was texting Bare pictures to put on the cleats.
"Literally in the middle of the text conversation he went, 'Dang, just found out about another one. Can you add this one?'" Bare said.
This should have been the best offseason of Addison's NFL career. The Panthers signed him to a three-year, $22.5 million extension, a reward for leading the team in sacks with 9.5 in 2016.
It is the most money he has made in a journeyman career that has included stops in Chicago, Indianapolis and Washington.
But the Birmingham, Alabama, native has shown that is about more than money. He hosted 1,000 kids at a youth camp and spoke to another 200 at the Housing Authority of Birmingham District's "Man to Man" event.
His message at both was the same: Life is about more than athletic achievement, about more than having a cool nickname like "Super Mario" and collecting sacks.
It's about family and relationships.
It's about caring.
The cleats show Addison cares.
"My camp was July 8, and I just wanted to show my appreciation because I was really close to all those guys," Addison said of those that died. "I wanted to show them they wasn't forgotten."
Addison is now a part of a star-studded end rotation. The Panthers signed future Hall of Famer Julius Peppers, ranked first on the team's all-time sack list with 81 and fifth on the NFL's all-time list with 143.5.
They re-signed Charles Johnson, second on the team's all-time sack list with 67.5.
But Addison may be the best current pass-rusher, even if he won't acknowledge it. "You know, those guys are great pass-rushers," he said. "One day, I want to be a great pass-rusher like those guys."
That answer says a lot about Addison.
"He's got a lot of depth to who he is as a young man, both on and off the field," coach Ron Rivera said. "He's really one of those guys, the more you're around him the more you recognize who he is goes beyond being a football player.
"He's got a special attitude about things. He's got a positive outlook on life. He's one of the young cornerstones on our defense and our team."
The cleats and Instagram post affirm that. He wrote: "It's been a Long Year for Me. But it Only Made Me Stronger. Rest Easy To All My Fam."
Not all of Addison's cleats are this inspirational. Some are fun, like the "Super Mario" ones. Some are a reminder of his college career at Troy.
But the ones with the images of those he lost are special.
"When you talk to him, he's not always real open," said Bare, who also paints cleats for Devin Funchess, Fozzy Whittaker and many other Panthers and former Panthers. "But for him to say how he felt about them, you can tell it definitely meant a lot to him.
"I talked to him after he got [the cleats], and the feedback he got from the families has been good for him and made him feel that much better that he can put something on his feet and go to work and represent those people."