Fourth time’s the charm?
Hopefully that’s the case for Andrew Whitworth, who has been nominated by the Rams for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award for the fourth consecutive year. It’s one of the most coveted honors in the league, recognizing the work players do in the community and the support they provide for charitable causes each year.
Whitworth is heavily involved in local causes in the L.A. area, and has been ever since he became a member of the Rams in 2017. He also does a ton of work in his home state of Louisiana, both through Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together New Orleans.
Whitworth works with an organization called LA Family Housing, too, which helps people transition out of homelessness.
His community work goes all the way back to his days in Cincinnati when he started his own non-profit organization, the Big Whit 77 Foundation, which helps local youth and families through several different avenues.
Whitworth showed just how much he does off the field during the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats program, playing for the following causes: St. Joseph’s Center, LA Family Housing, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles and Rebuilding Together New Orleans.
With Whitworth contemplating retirement and potentially playing his last NFL season in 2021, it would only be fitting for him to finally win this award after all the off-the-field support he’s provided in Los Angeles, Louisiana and even going back to his time in Cincinnati with the Bengals.
Even if he doesn’t win, simply being nominated is quite the honor. Each of the 32 nominees – one from each team – will receive a donation of up to $40,000 in their name to their charity of choice, while the winner will receive a $250,000 donation.
“The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award is the League’s most prestigious honor and these 32 men represent their many teammates who do incredible things in their communities,” commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “Their unwavering commitment to their hometowns and team communities embodies Walter’s spirit of giving back in a way that makes us all incredibly proud of the work they are doing every day.”
Below is the full list of nominees across the NFL.
The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by @Nationwide honors players who have exhibited excellence on-the-field, and whose passion to impact lives extends beyond the game. #ItTakesAllOfUs to make a difference. See the nominees here: https://t.co/R9P2JLXGBm #WPMOY pic.twitter.com/aMOBKbY0Tg
— NFL (@NFL) December 7, 2021