On the field, he's fast-finishing Feldty, trusted on the high ball and famous for his sweeping kick-off and that memorable 79th-minute try in the 2015 Grand Final.
Vote for Feldty – Ken Stephen Medal
Off the field, Kyle Feldt is a role model for young North Queenslanders, a conscientious advocate for the club's community programs and his personal causes, and the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys' nominee for this year's Ken Stephen Medal.
Here are the top 5 reasons that Feldty is our Cowboys community hero for 2020!
1. He's a huge advocate for grassroots rugby league.
The Norths Thuringowa Devils junior was the brains trust behind the Kyle Feldt Footy Throw Bin Challenge for the QRL Northern Division during the COVID-19 shutdown.
Dozens of junior players from across Townsville & District Junior Rugby League uploaded their footy throw videos to TDJRL Facebook, attracting hundreds of likes, comments and shares.
Keeping JRL kids engaged and active was a campaign goal achieved for QRL Club Support Manager (Townsville) Kerri Ritchie, who described the feedback as "just fantastic!".
Kyle Feldt Footy Throw Bin Challenge
2. He inspires resilience.
He keeps it on the down-low but Feldt's private video messages of support for those who reach out in need are testament to his humanity and generous community spirit.
"The fact that he doesn't seek the spotlight for his support makes him the real deal," said Cowboys Community & Government Relations Manager Fiona Pelling.
Vote 1 Kyle Feldt for Ken Stephen Medal
3. He embraces being a role model.
Listening to Feldt engage with Adopt-a-School students over Zoom, you're struck by how easily the 28-year-old relates to the group of Year 6s.
He's honest, insightful and quick on the comebacks, and it's this personal style and commitment to the program that has endeared him to the Good Shepherd Catholic School community over eight years of visits.
The school's Facebook feed is proudly packed with posts about his visits – Term 1's simply says, "We love having Kyle Feldt as our Adopt-A-Cowboy!".
Who will win the Kyle Feldt Crown?
4. He's always professional.
It's 11.45am and Kyle Feldt is late for his Try for 5! filming.
He's run over time with media and is having trouble finding the production crew set up in the pandanus trees outside Cowboys HQ.
No sweat – he reads through his lines for his two program schools (Cairns West State School and Western Cape College) and delivers with enthusiasm, not missing a beat when asked for another take or two.
"Feldty's great to work with on community videos because he takes time to understand what we're doing and why," Cowboys Head of Community Programs Samantha Johnstone said.
"He wants to do his best because he knows his audience and believes in the value of the programs."
5. He gets why giving back is important.
Feldt's player profile lists his dream job as water boy for the Cowboys (lol) but he's on record saying he wants to be a fireman or police officer when he retires from rugby league, to continue giving back to his community.
"In my job as a Cowboy I get to work with the community a lot, and it's something I take a lot of pride in as this is my home and region," he said in a recent interview.
"After I finish I'd also like to still work with the club in the community space – it's a great organisation doing great work."
