Tag: Walter Payton Man of the Year

Broncos share must-watch video of Dalton Risner’s award nomination

The video of Dalton Risner finding out the Broncos nominated him for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award is fantastic!

Sometimes when things go left, it has to go right.

The Denver Broncos’ 3-9 record is not what the team has projected this season, but that does not mean there hasn’t been any good going on within the organization. Each year, the league recognizes The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award to the NFL player who commits to excellence on the field and off with community impact and philanthropy efforts.

The award, given out since 1969, and named after NFL Legend Walter Payton after his death in 1999, is a prestigious honor won by players such as Hall of Famers Drew Brees, Kurt Warner, and the Broncos’ own Russell Wilson.

Another Bronco could join Wilson as a recipient of this award, as the Broncos announced this week the nomination of Dalton Risner for the 2022 award installment. Risner, who plays offensive guard, was announced as a nominee while he was under the assumption that he would surprise a youth group at Empower Field at Mile High.

The video is great:

Risner is in his fourth season with the Denver Broncos. One of the involvements he has is his RisnerUp foundation, where he works with the community to make a positive impact. Below, he spoke on why it’s so important to lay the groundwork to make an impact and be a positive light.

“Dalton earned it,” teammate Justin Simmons said Wednesday. “… I think ‘Dalt’ over the last few years has just done such an amazing job with his foundation — the RisnerUp Foundation. He has [children’s] books. The interactions he has with the kids and the stories of how he keeps in touch … that inspires me. I feel like I need to do more now. I can do a little bit more. I’m excited for him.”

To be mentioned as a Man of the Year is a tremendous honor. Good luck to Risner on the nomination.

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Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes discusses Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes shared his thoughts on being nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. | from @EdEastonJr

The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award continues to be one of the most prestigious individual awards in the NFL. It has become a sought accomplishment for players, recognizing both on-field greatness and off-field commitment to improving the communities they serve.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has won various honors throughout his career and may now have the chance to secure another milestone. Mahomes was named the Chiefs’ Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee earlier in the week, joining past nominees like Alex Smith, Dustin Colquitt, Travis Kelce and Tyrann Mathieu.

Mahomes took some time ahead of Wednesday’s practice during his press conference to reveal his feelings about the nomination.

“Well, they let me know a few weeks back. We had the announcement last night at my gala, but I mean obviously (it’s) a tremendous honor – not only to be the Walter Payton nominee for the NFL but for the Chiefs who have the most Walter Payton Man of the Years (Awards),” said Mahomes. “And it’s such a prestigious honor for this organization, especially to (give) back to the community that gives us so much. There are so many deserving guys in our team, so for me to have my turn this year is something that I’ll hold (on to) for the rest of my life.”

Mahomes has his sights on another Lombardi trophy, but equally understands the importance of giving back. The 15 and Mahomies Foundation was established in 2019 and continues to be dedicated to improving the lives of underserved children.

“Yeah, it’s way past what I even dreamed of it ever being and I think that that goes to the people that I have around me and the people in the communities that have brought me up,” said Mahomes. “They’ve been willing to give back and help me kind of follow this dream of giving back to the communities that help me out so much and it takes everybody. It’s not just me. I’m kind of the face of it, but there’s so many people behind the scenes that make this thing go. And the community – like I said, in Kansas City and Tyler, Texas and Lubbock, Texas – that have donated their time, their money, whatever it is, to make this foundation become what it is. It’s truly special and something, like I said, I’ll have for the rest of my life and something I never could have even dreamed of.”

Should Mahomes be named Walter Payton Man of the Year at the NFL Honors ceremony ahead of Super Bowl LVII, he’d become the sixth player in franchise history to earn the prestigious honor. He’d become the first Chiefs player to earn the award in the last 13 years, joining Willie Lanier (1972), Len Dawson (1973), Derrick Thomas (1993), Will Shields (2003) and Brian Waters (2009). 

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Former Auburn defensive tackle named as Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee

Derrick Brown’s community work is devoted to helping high-risk children.

A former Auburn football player has been nominated for one of the NFL’s greatest honors.

[autotag]Derrick Brown[/autotag], who played for the Tigers as a defensive tackle from 2016-19, was selected as the Panthers’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, given to the NFL player that creates the biggest community impact through philanthropy and other means. Brown is one of 32 nominees, one for each NFL team.

Here is what Brown said on Twitter about being nominated for the award:

“Truly Honored (sic) to be nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. It wouldn’t have been possible without all the amazing people behind the scenes and all the Amazing (sic) partners that have helped in so many events and helped bring my vision to life in numerous ways!”

Brown’s community work involves helping high-risk children, both in Charlotte, North Carolina, and his hometown of Sugar Hill, Georgia. Brown’s efforts are numerous, including a football camp for 200 kids in Georgia and donating money and school supplies to high school children attending his alma mater.

The winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year award is always announced at the NFL Honors ceremony the Thursday before the Super Bowl.

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Falcons nominate Chris Lindstrom for Walter Payton Man of the Year

Falcons right guard Chris Lindstrom is the team’s nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award

The Atlanta Falcons have selected right guard Chris Lindstrom as their 2022 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. Lindstrom was drafted by the Falcons in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft and has developed into one of the league’s truly elite offensive lineman.

The award, as explained below, recognizes players who also make a difference off the field:

“The winner of the award each year receives a $250,000 donated to the winner’s charity of choice. All other 31 nominees receive up to $40,000 donated to their charity of choice. All donations are courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide. The 2022 winner will be revealed during NFL Honors ahead of Super Bowl LVII.”

Lindstrom has been making a difference since joining the team in 2019, both on and off the field:

“The fourth-year offensive lineman also cooked dinner for a breast cancer fighter and her family at the Atlanta Falcons Dazzle & Dine event, provided Thanksgiving meals to those in need on Atlanta’s Westside during Falcons Feast, took part in the organization’s visit to Joint Base Lewis-McCord in Washington, spent time with hospital staff at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for their season kickoff party and cleaned Anderson Park on Atlanta’s Westside during the Falcons Hometown Huddle event,” wrote Falcons communications coordinator John Deighton.

Watch as Lindstrom learns he’s received the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination below.

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Browns nominate Joel Bitonio as their 2022 Walter Payton Man of the Year

Joel Bitonio has been nominated for one of the NFL’s most prestigious awards.

Every year, every NFL franchise nominates one player for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, which “recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field.” This year, the Cleveland Browns have nominated left guard Joel Bitonio for the award for his dominance on the field, and for his helping hand in the city of Cleveland.

The owner of the Browns, Jimmy Haslam, and his sports group made a statement on the honor:

“While the entire NFL and Browns fans have watched Joel excel on the field for the past nine seasons, we have been extremely fortunate to see first-hand his contributions to our team and Northeast Ohio as an incredibly high-character man, teammate and leader… The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is truly special because it recognizes a player’s passion and dedication to the game and community service, and Joel consistently embodies what this honor represents in every way.”

Bitonio responded to the news as well:

“I have been part of the Cleveland community for nine years now. [Giving back] is just something that my mom and my dad instilled in me to take care of the people that take care of you. This community has always taken care of me. No matter where you are in life, you can lend a helping hand, be part of the community and give back, and a lot of times, you give back to help somebody, but those interactions fill you up, as well.”

A member of the Cleveland Browns has never been awarded the honor, so Bitonio has the chance to bring home the hardware and make franchise history as well. Which, of course, is second nature to the work Bitonio has already done to put himself in this position to begin with.

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Derrick Brown named Panthers’ 2022 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee

Derrick Brown has been named the Panthers’ 2022 nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

2022 really seems to be Derrick Brown’s year—on and off the field.

On Tuesday morning, the third-year defensive tackle was named the Carolina Panthers’ nominee for this season’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award. The honor recognizes excellence on the gridiron and in the community, which Brown has exhibited through the work for his charity—The Derrick Brown Foundation Inc.

Brown’s foundation sets out to impact at-risk youth and families, from Charlotte, N.C. to his home state of Georgia. The initiative has helped over 3,000 children and 4,000 families since 2020.

“We didn’t have everything, so we had people that would help us,” Brown said in the team’s official release regarding his nomination. “I think about it all the time – those that helped me, helped my parents. It’s just one of those things in life where I’m just like, all the moments that I had growing up, there’s a kid out there just like me, growing up in that same situation I grew up in. I keep that mindset over and over and over again.”

Each team’s nominee will receive a $40,000 donation to the charity of their choice. The winner, which receives an additional $250,000 donation, will be announced at the annual NFL Honors event.

As for the on-field part of the award, Brown is living up to those standards with a career year. He has recorded 50 tackles, a sack and six passes defensed in what’s been an emergent campaign for the 24-year-old.

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Jared Goff is the Lions nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award

The award honors off-field excellence and community service and is highly coveted by players

The nominees for the 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award are out. For the Detroit Lions, the prestigious honor of being nominated goes to quarterback Jared Goff.

The Walter Payton Award honors off-field contributions, including community service and excellence.

Recent nominees from Detroit include FB Jason Cabinda, DE Trey Flowers and EDGE Devon Kennard.

In a statement released by the Lions, Goff had this to say about being the team’s nominee,

“It’s an incredible honor and something I’m proud of and don’t take for granted. It’s important to lend a hand, not only financially but with your energy, and show the community that you’re going to be a part of their lives and a part of the solution. It’s about the people you’re giving back to and it’s about wrapping your arms around a community and wrapping your arms around kids and making sure you’re there for them, and I’m proud to be able to do it. Being a leader in the community and being a leader on our team and this organization, you want to be able to help, and there’s so many places you can in Detroit.”

From the Lions’ press release on Goff as the worthy nominee,

Since joining the Lions in 2021, Goff has continued his long-standing devotion to youth in the community by pouring his time and resources into Detroit area schools. This year, Goff and his brand, JG16, developed a partnership with non-profit organization Give Merit’s FATE Program. In collaboration with four FATE students, Goff designs and sells clothing products that ultimately provide college scholarships to students in Detroit. The group works with a designer to create clothing that captures the heart of the initiative.

Goff matches 100 percent of the profits to support FATE, which rewards 175 Detroit youth working on real-life business projects with a scholarship upon completion of the program. In 2021, every dollar accrued by the JG16 apparel line was donated to the Detroit Lions Foundation and distributed throughout the Detroit community for various youth initiatives.

Over the last two years, Goff has continuously identified areas of need at Detroit Lions Academy, an alternative middle school aimed at providing over-age students a path to graduation. In an effort to aid engaging curriculum at DLA, this year Goff established the JG16 STEAM Lab to help students acquire skills by participating in projects that cultivate critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, intellectual curiosity, and flexibility.

The project brought to life a remodeled creative space to provide inspiration to learn, and equipped the classroom with new furniture, work benches, tools and Lego walls. Goff was able to enhance the STEAM Lab with $10,000 gifted from the NFLPA after winning the 2021 Week 5 NFLPA Community MVP Award. In one of the most food-insecure areas of the country, Goff earned the recognition for hosting a mobile food pantry at Ford Field that provided over 40,000 lbs. of food to over 500 Detroit-area families in need.

Congrats to Goff for the nomination, as well as the nominees for the other 31 NFL teams. It’s a coveted award for good reason and reflects just how important off-field accomplishments and contributions are for players and teams. The full list of nominees can be found here via NFL.com.

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Jaelan Phillips named Dolphins 2022 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee

The second-year LB has done important work off the field.

While the Miami Dolphins have been doing great things on the field, a number of players have been making as much of an impact off of it.

Dolphins second-year linebacker Jaelan Phillips has been doing such great work that he’s been named the team’s 2022 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee.

Phillips was lauded for his time spent visiting and impacting the lives of incarcerated youth in South Florida as a rookie, and he’s continued that work this year.

With the announcement, the team produced a video showcasing some of the amazing things that he’s done.

According to the NFL’s website, the winner of the award will receive $250,000 donated to a charity of their choice while all other nominees receive up to $40,000 to their charity.

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Former LSU Tiger wins the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year award

Fantastic work by Whit.

Andrew Whitworth, former LSU offensive tackle from 2002-2005, has won the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.

Man, where do I start? Whitworth, a 6’7 335 pound MOUNTAIN of a man, was born in West Monroe, Louisiana. He played high school ball at West Monroe high school, home of the Rebels. He was widely regarded as one of the nation’s top offensive linemen and he led the team to the 5A State title in 1997, 1998, and 2000.

He decided to stay home for college and play three hours south of his hometown, West Monroe, in Baton Rouge. He then proceeded to cement his legacy as one of the best in LSU history.

He set an LSU record by playing and starting in 52 games during his career, never missed a game or practice due to injury during his career, and missed only one practice during his career, and that was to attend graduation ceremonies in December of 2005. The 52 career starts rank as the second-highest total in NCAA history.

In 2006, Whitworth was the 55th overall pick in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. Over his 16 year NFL career, Whitworth has been selected to play in four Pro Bowls (2012, 2015, 2016, 2017), was selected First-Team All-Pro twice (2015, 2017), and has started 235 career games.

This will be his second attempt at getting a Super Bowl ring, his first was Super Bowl LIII against the Patriots. This time things have come full circle, as he plays against the team that drafted him in 2006.

Complete list of all NFL Honors award winners from 2021 season

The award show is officially in the books – here’s a complete list of NFL Honors winners from the 2021 NFL season.

The NFL Honors awards show is now in the books. During the two-hour primetime special, nods were given to the best plays and players of the 2021 NFL regular season.

Below is a complete list of this year’s awards winners.

Pepsi Rookie of the Year: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase

AP Defensive Player of the Year Presented by Castrol EDGE: Pittsburgh Steeler pass rusher T.J. Watt

Bridgestone Best Moment of the Year: Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker’s record-breaking 66-yard field goal

AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Presented by NFL ALL DAY: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase

AP Offensive Player of the Year Presented by Microsoft Surface: Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp

AP Defensive Rookie of the Year Presented by Old Spice: Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons

Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022 Delivered with Uber Eats: Tony Boselli, LeRoy Butler, Sam Mills, Richard Seymour, Bryant Young, Cliff Branch, Art McNally, Dick Vermeil

Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award: New England Patriots special teamer Matthew Slater

AP Comeback Player of the Year Presented by Bos: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow

AP Assistant Coach of the Year: Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn

Salute to Service Award Presented by USAA: Denver Broncos fullback/tight end Andrew Beck

Courtyard Unstoppable Performance of the Year: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow vs. Chiefs in Week 17

Deacon Jones Sack Leader Award: Pittsburgh Steelers pass rusher T.J. Watt

FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Year: Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor

Bud Light Celly of the Year: Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Christian Wilkins’s “Worm”

AP Coach of the Year Presented by Invisalign: Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Player of the Year: Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp

Fan of the Year Presented by Captain Morgan: Atlanta Falcons fan Henry Ison

AP Most Valuable Player Delivered by Pizza Hut: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers

Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Presented by Nationwide: Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth

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