Cleveland Browns linebacker and captain Anthony Walker Jr. was announced as the team’s nominee for the 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. The Walter Payton Award is one of the most prestigious awards in the NFL. The award is given to the player who made the most positive impact in their community.
Walker became an important figure in the Browns’ Stay In The Game, the flagship program of the Cleveland Browns Foundation. Stay In The Game! supports students staying in school and combats chronic absenteeism in the community. In September, Walker hosted a Back to School event at Shaker Heights Middle School where he distributed over 100 backpacks and school supplies to students. Afterward, he treated the students to ice cream.
Walker showed further support for Stay In The Game! when he dedicated his cleats from My Cause, My Cleats to the organization. Walker took drawings from elementary school students and incorporated them into a design for the cleats he wore during the Broncos’ game.
During Thanksgiving week, Walker celebrated students for their attendance by awarding them with a Turkey Bowl tournament and a Thanksgiving meal.
Walker will wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal for the rest of the season. The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year winner will be announced during the NFL Honors program on Thursday, Feb 8. Each nominee will receive a 55-thousand-dollar donation, and the winner will receive a 250-thousand-dollar donation to a charity of their choice.
Walker is doing important work in Northeast Ohio and it’s good to see him get recognized by the league. Teams are at their best when leaders on the field are trying to contribute even more off the field. The team was very proud of Walker for being named the nominee. Watch below as Greg Newsome II informs Walker he is the nominee.
.@__AWalkJr thought we were bothering him with another unserious mini mic question and had no idea he was about to receive one of the league's biggest honors 😂👏@Nationwide | #WPMOY pic.twitter.com/NiDixCYWyi
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) December 5, 2023
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