Tag: Walter Payton Award

Cowboys nominate DeMarcus Lawrence for Walter Payton Man of the Year Award

From @ToddBrock24f7: The DE follows in the footsteps of QB Dak Prescott, who won the 2022 award and surprised Lawrence with news of his nomination this week.

DeMarcus Lawrence has long been an agent of chaos on the field, making a career out of altering the game plans of opposing quarterbacks. But the Cowboys defensive end is also a relentless instrument of change off the field, too, and he’s being recognized for that work with his latest accolade.

Lawrence is the Cowboys’ nominee for the 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

Quarterback Dak Prescott, who won the award last year, surprised Lawrence with the announcement on Monday.

Over his Cowboys tenure, Lawrence has been active in numerous charity and outreach efforts including the North Texas Food Bank, local Boys & Girls Clubs, and the education nonprofit Big Thought. He’s spent many hours visiting children’s hospitals and schools as well as lending a helping hand to small businesses, the homeless, afterschool programs, and essential workers in the DFW area.

“I’m a huge believer [that] you’re a product of your environment,” Lawrence says in a video profile on NFL.com. “So I just want to make sure I’m giving back to the kids, make sure I’m giving back to the community, because our community looks up to us as athletes and Dallas Cowboys. I just want to make sure they have that figure out in the streets with them, to be able to say, ‘You know what? He actually is a good guy. He stood by me when I was going through this or this and he had my back.’ Just like I have my guys’ back on the field, I want to have my people’s back off the field.”

Considered by the league its most prestigious honor, the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award recognizes commitment to philanthropy and community service as well as excellence on gameday. Each NFL team nominates one player annually, and a panel of judges that includes Commissioner Roger Goodell, the previous year’s winner, and former NFL players will select this year’s recipient.

The nominees from all 32 teams will wear a special helmet decal for the remainder of this season.

The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner is traditionally recognized during a Super Bowl pregame ceremony; he receives a $250,000 donation in his name to the charity of his choosing. He is also given a special uniform patch to wear on his jersey for the rest of his playing career.

The other 31 nominees receive up to $55,000 to be donated to their favorite charity as well, with monies coming from the NFL Foundation and award title sponsor Nationwide.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

The NFL Man of the Year Award was first handed out in 1970. It was renamed for Chicago Bears running back and noted humanitarian Walter Payton- the 1977 recipient- shortly after his 1999 passing.

The Cowboys have had four players win the award: Prescott in 2022, tight end Jason Witten in 2012, quarterback Troy Aikman in 1997, and quarterback Roger Staubach in 1978.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01hgxbd64033h54s822p playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01hgxbd64033h54s822p/01hgxbd64033h54s822p-00a49997732484e9fd22fd2c5ce177db.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Eagles’ OL Lane Johnson nominated for Walter Payton Man of the Year Award

Lane Johnson is Eagles nominee for Walter Payton Man of the Year Award

The Philadelphia Eagles have announced Lane Johnson as its 2023 nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide.

Considered one of the league’s most prestigious honors, the award recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community service activities and excellence on the field.

“I’m incredibly honored to be named the Eagles’ Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year alongside an inspiring group of men who are making a difference in their communities,” said Johnson. “I’ve been fortunate to spend my entire career playing for an organization and city that has embraced me at my best, but more importantly, supported me and helped me through some of my darkest moments. Playing this game has always been a passion of mine, but being able to share my mental health journey through the platform football has given me has been a rewarding experience. I’m grateful to have had a strong support system, and my hope is to support others who are suffering in silence by opening doors for them to feel comfortable enough sharing their stories.”

All 32 nominees will be recognized for their achievements during the week leading up to Super Bowl LVIII. The 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year winner will be announced during NFL Honors, a primetime awards special to air nationally on CBS on Thursday, Feb. 8.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott named Walter Payton Man of the Year

Prescott spotlighted his late mother Peggy and older brother Jace as he accepted the NFL’s most prestigious honor Thursday night. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Dak Prescott’s gameday jersey will look a little bit different from now on, for as long as he’s in the NFL.

The Cowboys quarterback will be given the special jersey patch that signifies him as a recipient of the NFL’s most prestigious honor, the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. Prescott was named the award’s winner for the 2022 season at NFL Honors in Phoenix on Thursday.

The annual award recognizes commitment to philanthropy and community service as well as excellence on the football field. Prescott had been the Cowboys’ nominee three times in the past five years.

The quarterback’s Faith Fight Finish (FFF) Foundation is a multi-pronged outreach effort that addresses several areas that have touched Prescott’s life directly, including cancer research, mental health awareness and suicide prevention, bridging the gap between law enforcement and communities, and offering help to those facing life-challenging hardships.

Following an emotional video package narrated by actor Susan Sarandon, Prescott took the stage Thursday night and thanked his family, friends, and teammates, as well as the Cowboys organization and his foundation’s support staff.

He also acknowledged the Cowboys’ former recipients of the award, Roger Staubach (1978), Troy Aikman (1997), and Jason Witten (2012).

“These are men who I look up to and have learned so much from,” Prescott said. “Being recognized alongside them, I will never take for granted. It’s something I’ll take pride in forever.”

But his speech highlighted his late mother Peggy, who Prescott said “was and still is my moral compass.” His charitable work off the football field, he explained, is his way of sharing her strength and courage with the world.

The foundation he started in her honor in 2017 as a cancer research program broadened its scope to also include mental health awareness after Prescott’s older brother Jace died by suicide in 2020.

“I made a promise,” Prescott said Thursday, “that it would be one life taken to save millions.”

Prescott stressed that his extensive community work will only grow in scope as his football career continues.

“I gain strength, I gain motivation by seeing so many of our beneficiaries who are meeting the defining moments in their lives with grace and courage. I strive to create empathy every day, and I learn so much from those I give [to], including how much more there is to be done. I’m grateful every day for the opportunity to continue to chase the legacy of Walter Payton and the former Man of the Year winners. I draw so much inspiration from each of you who represent the immense potential that we have as NFL players to make an impact on this community and the world.”

The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner is traditionally recognized during a Super Bowl pregame ceremony; Prescott will also receive a $250,000 donation in his name to the charity of his choosing. And he’ll be issued that special uniform patch to wear on his jersey for the rest of his playing career.

But, as Prescott said, he hopes that when it’s all said and done someday, it’s the patch that gets remembered even more so than the silver and blue uniform it adorned.

“I hope that when I finish this game, they say, ‘He was a hell of a football player, but he was a much better person.'”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01gr9jxnvpnj9yxf2h4d playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gr9jxnvpnj9yxf2h4d/01gr9jxnvpnj9yxf2h4d-c6cbcb72b49f241dd1044f19b1ef7ed8.jpg]

Cowboys nominate Dak Prescott for Walter Payton Man of the Year Award

It’s the third nomination in Prescott’s career, as his Faith Fight Finish Foundation continues to make a difference in the lives of many. | From @ToddBrock24f7

For the third time in the last five seasons, Dak Prescott is the Dallas Cowboys’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

Considered the league’s most prestigious honor, the award recognizes commitment to philanthropy and community service as well as excellence on the football field. Each NFL team nominates one player annually, and a panel of judges that includes Commissioner Roger Goodell, the previous year’s winner, and former NFL players select one recipient for this year’s accolade.

Prescott was previously nominated in 2018 and 2021.

The quarterback’s Faith Fight Finish (FFF) Foundation is a multi-pronged outreach effort that addresses several areas that have touched Prescott’s life directly, including colon cancer research, mental health awareness and suicide prevention, bridging the gap between law enforcement and communities, and offering help to those facing life-challenging hardships.

All 32 nominees will wear a special helmet decal for the remainder of this season.

The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner is traditionally recognized during a Super Bowl pregame ceremony; he receives a $250,000 donation in his name to the charity of his choosing. He is also given a special uniform patch to wear on his jersey for the rest of his playing career.

The other 31 nominees receive up to $40,000 to be donated to their favorite charity as well, with monies coming from the NFL Foundation and award title sponsor Nationwide.

Former Cowboys tight end Jason Witten won the award in 2012. Troy Aikman won for the 1997 season, and Roger Staubach was 1978’s recipient.

The NFL Man of the Year Award was first handed out in 1970. It was renamed for Chicago Bears running back and noted humanitarian Walter Payton- the 1977 recipient- shortly after his 1999 passing.

[vertical-gallery id=706635]

[listicle id=706636]

[listicle id=706528]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott nominated for Walter Payton Man of the Year Award

The Cowboys passer has been nominated for the league’s most prestigious honor for the second time in his career. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The difference that Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott makes to his team on the field is clear and obvious. But the difference he makes in the lives of others off the field is worthy of recognition, too.

Prescott is a 2021 nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. The accolade is presented annually to the player who displays excellence in volunteer and charity work in his community as well as on the field of play. All 32 teams have put forth one player for what the league considers its highest individual honor; the full slate of nominees was released Tuesday.

The Cowboys passer is recognized for his efforts with his Faith Fight Finish (FFF) Foundation, which focuses on three main initiatives: cancer research, suicide prevention/mental health awareness, and bridging the gap between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

All three have played a major role in the 28-year-old’s own story.

The original mission of FFF was the fight against cancer. Prescott lost his mother to colon cancer in 2013, while he was a sophomore at Mississippi State. Today, the foundation works to provide free colonoscopy screenings in minority and medically-underserved communities, while also providing resources to families affected by the disease.

Prescott also lent his voice to the ongoing national discussion regarding race and law enforcement following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. He pledged $1 million toward police training, education, and advocacy initiatives, while also steering the foundation to the creation of a Law Enforcement Steering Committee. Made up of youth, community leaders, and law enforcement personnel, it helps develop a police training program that addresses systemic racism.

Suicide and mental health touched Prescott personally last year. After he lost his older brother to suicide in April, the quarterback himself experienced symptoms of depression, feelings which were compounded as the country was gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic. His own mental health was tested further after suffering a horrific season-ending ankle injury in October. Prescott has become a noted advocate for mental health awareness around the league, helping lend credence to an issue that had been largely taboo in the stereotypically macho world of professional football.

Prescott launched FFF just three years after his mother’s passing, determined to use his platform as the leader of America’s Team to pay forward the lessons he learned from her about turning adversity- in whatever form it takes- into inspiration.

As a current nominee, Prescott will wear a special helmet decal for the remainder of the season. One winner from the 32 will be chosen by a panel which includes NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (as the most previous winner), and a number of former players.

The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner receives a $250,000 donation in his name to the charity of his choice. He is traditionally recognized during the Super Bowl pregame ceremony and will receive an honorary jersey patch that he is entitled to wear for the rest of his playing career.

Each of the other 31 finalists receive up to a $40,000 donation in their name to charities of their choice. Fans are also encouraged to post to Twitter using a special hashtag to earn a larger donation for their favorite nominee.

Former Cowboys tight end Jason Witten won the award in 2012; quarterback Troy Aikman was 1997’s winner. Roger Staubach won in 1978.

Prescott was previously the Cowboys’ nominee for the 2018 season. At the time, he called it the accolade he was most proud of.

“I’m not someone who cares that much about stats or accolades, recognition, things of that nature. But when you’re talking Walter Payton, you’re talking about being recognized for things you do off the field. It’s incredible,” Prescott said then. “It’s a testament to what my mom told me to do, allow her to be my story. Any chance I get to go out there and inspire and maybe tell my story to make somebody better, I’m going to do that.”

[listicle id=687736]

[listicle id=687728]

[listicle id=687603]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Cowboys nominate Jaylon Smith for Walter Payton Man of the Year honor

The linebacker will wear a special helmet decal marking the honor, recognizing his work empowering minority entrepreneurship initiatives.

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.”

“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.

[listicle id=659749]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Travis Frederick again nominated for Walter Payton Man of the Year

The Dallas center will wear the special helmet decal for a second time and look to join teammate Jason Witten as a winner of the award.

The Dallas Cowboys have announced that center Travis Frederick is the team’s 2019 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee.

Each of the 32 teams across the league selects its own Man of the Year, with each nominee put forward to win the national award, presented by Nationwide. The prestigious award honors an NFL player “for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field,” according to a press release from the league Thursday morning that includes the names of all 32 current nominees.

“Every day, in cities and towns across America, NFL players give of themselves to make our communities better. This year, as we celebrate our 100th season and the 50th year of the Walter Payton NFL Man of Year Award, NFL players have continued to raise the bar on community engagement and impact,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “The 32 nominees for this year’s award are the best of the best and truly embody the spirit of Walter and his legacy of leaving the world better than he found it.”

First established in 1970, the national award was renamed in 1999 after the late Hall of Fame Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton.

Frederick, in his seventh season out of Wisconsin, has been one of the league’s top offensive linemen for his entire career, earning four Pro Bowl appearances. He has also been extremely active on the community service front, giving his time and energy to causes like The Salvation Army and Make-a-Wish Foundation of North Texas. He is a frequent visitor to Dallas area hospitals and schools, and his Blocking Out Hunger Foundation is making a huge impact combating childhood hunger in and around the Metroplex.

A first-round draft pick in 2013, Frederick was previously named the team’s Man of the Year nominee in 2017 as well. He spent the entire 2018 season making a recovery from Guillain-Barre Syndrome and returned to the field in 2019.

Frederick and the 31 other current nominees will wear a special helmet decal beginning with this week’s games and continuing through the end of the season. Winners of the award- like Jason Witten in 2012- get a Man of the Year patch that they wear on their jersey for the duration of their playing career.

Cowboys fans can help support Frederick’s chosen cause by voting on Twitter using a special hashtag. The nominee whose hashtag is used the most between December 12 and January 12 will receive a $25,000 contribution to their charity of choice; the second- and third-place finishers get lesser donations made in their name.

The 2019 Walter Payton Man of the Year will be announced during NFL Honors, the league’s awards special that airs the night before the Super Bowl. This year’s announcement will take place on February 1 in downtown Miami.