Patriots rookie defensive lineman Chase Winovich will always have fans at Thomas Jefferson High School in Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania. But the 24-year-old — who graduated from there in 2014 — probably made a few more with a move that’s truly in the spirit of the holidays.

According to a Facebook post from the West Jefferson Hills School District, Winovich paid off all of the students’ lunch debt.

“Growing up in TJ, the community has always been so important to me,” Winovich said, according to the district. “It’s great to be able to give back during the holidays!”

Winovich, who was a four-star high school recruit to Michigan in 2014 from Jefferson Hills, also recalled the time he played Santa as a child in Pennsylvania after “several intense rounds of auditioning.”

When I was in 5th grade, and after several intense rounds of auditioning, I was named Santa in the Holiday Show. No big deal https://t.co/e61A17TzpO — Chase Winovich (@Wino) December 20, 2019


In 2019, Winovich was selected in the third round of the NFL draft by the Patriots. He has 5.5 sacks so far in his career with New England, logging 17 tackles.