Cowboys fans have had a love/hate relationship with linebacker Jaylon Smith in 2020, often making him the target of their frustrations with a defense that seems to often lack hustle and the poster boy for an organization that seems to overpay some players before they’ve proven their long-term worth.
Those criticisms deserve to be set aside for a day at least. Smith was honored by the league Thursday for his community service activities off the field when he was named the Cowboys’ nominee for the 2020 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
Always one of the team’s most active participants in local community outreach efforts, Smith has personally spearheaded initiatives to encourage minority entrepreneurship. He founded the Minority Entrepreneurship Institute to help open doors for others to start businesses and succeed financially.
From the Cowboys official website:
“Smith has pledged $2.5 million over 10 years to spur MEI investments and is adding co-investors across the country who share in his beliefs. His hope is that minority entrepreneurs will be the game-changers who can make a changing economy come to life.”
"An honor to be nominated…"#WPMOYChallenge + @thejaylonsmith
đź“° https://t.co/Dr9swBnJ53 pic.twitter.com/paiulgzEjP
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) December 10, 2020
“Jaylon exemplifies every quality that this award celebrates,” Cowboys executive vice president and chief brand officer Charlotte Jones Anderson said in a statement. “He has a light that he wants to share and shine on others that is rare. We are excited to see what more he can accomplish through his work with minority entrepreneurs and the many other endeavors that he supports.”
Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard, and Rico Dowdle were among the first Cowboys players who took to social media to congratulate their teammate.
A player from each team in the league was nominated; notables include Cleveland’s Myles Garrett, Kansas City’s Travis Kelce, Seattle’s Russell Wilson, and Miami’s Byron Jones, the former Cowboys cornerback.
The nominations were announced on Good Morning Football.
Smith and the 31 other nominees will wear a special helmet decal for the rest of the season signifying the honor. All will see their work celebrated during the week leading up to Super Bowl LV and have a $40,000 donation made to the charity of their choosing. The award’s winner will be revealed during the NFL Honors event, with a $250,000 donation made. That winner will also wear a jersey patch for the remainder of his playing career.
Several Cowboys have won the NFL Man of the Year award: Roger Staubach in 1978, Troy Aikman in 1997, and Jason Witten in 2012. The award was re-named for Payton shortly after his death in 1999; the Bears running back had won it himself in 1977.
Nationwide, the award’s corporate sponsor, is encouraging fans to vote for their favorite nominee on Twitter by using the hashtag #WPMOYChallenge followed by the player’s last name. The player tagged most between December 10 and January 17 will receive a $25,000 contribution to their charity of choice; second- and third-place finishers will receive $10,000 and $5,000 donations, respectively.
Congratulations- and a celebratory swipe- to Jaylon Smith on being nominated for the NFL’s most prestigious accolade.
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