Seahawks Defensive End Cliff Avril signs endorsement deal with CenturyLink

SEATTLE, July 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) today announced that it has secured an endorsement deal with Cliff Avril, a defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks. The one-year contract will position Avril as the spokesperson for CenturyLink's marketing campaign in the Seattle market that launches this fall.

Avril will appear in local television and radio commercials, on outdoor billboards and in online, print and social media promotions. The campaign, focused on the theme of Home Team. Home Connection., will highlight CenturyLink's recent fiber-enabled 1 gigabit per second (Gbps)  broadband service offering throughout the Seattle area. In addition, Avril will be supporting community efforts such as #12sforgood that will focus on local fans who do good deeds in their communities.

"I couldn't be more excited to join forces with CenturyLink to help spread awareness of their 1 Gig service offering for Seattle as well as rally the support of the 12s who are helping improve our communities," said Avril.

Avril, a Purdue alumnus, was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft and signed with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013. In 2014, he set a Super Bowl record by scoring only 12 seconds into the game with a safety stemming from an errant opening snap by the Denver Broncos; he later forced an interception that led to a touchdown. Avril became the first player in NFL history to win a Super Bowl after having been on a zero-win team.

"Cliff Avril is deeply committed to the communities around him," said Rich Karlis, director of sponsorships for CenturyLink. "We look forward to our partnership with Avril as we strive to enhance our communities together through programs such as #12sforgood."

Avril began The Cliff Avril Family Foundation in 2014, which benefits juvenile diabetes research. Inspired by the loss of his grandmother and his mother's diagnosis of diabetes, Avril realized the importance of educating today's youth about healthy living. Annual events include the Cliff Avril Dining to Make a Difference gala in Seattle and the Cliff Avril Family Foundation Charity Weekend hosted in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. For more information on the Foundation, visit cliffavrilfamilyfoundation.org.

About CenturyLink
CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is a global communications, hosting, cloud and IT services company enabling millions of customers to transform their businesses and their lives through innovative technology solutions. CenturyLink offers network and data systems management, Big Data analytics and IT consulting, and operates more than 55 data centers in North America, Europe and Asia. The company provides broadband, voice, video, data and managed services over a robust 250,000-route-mile U.S. fiber network and a 300,000-route-mile international transport network. Visit CenturyLink for more information.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140806/134213

SOURCE CenturyLink, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.centurylink.com