On Thursday, the NFL announced each team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. For the Minnesota Vikings, C.J. Ham has earned the honor of being up for the award for recognizing charitable work within the community.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell summed up how everyone feels about Ham in about as simple terms as he could, saying, “He’s truly Minnesota’s favorite.”
Ham has done Some of the work in the community, one he grew up with living in Duluth, includes the Boys and Girls Club, American Cancer Society, youth football camps, and much more. Ham and his wife also have the Ham Family Scholarship, which was born out of the pain they felt for their community following the George Floyd murder.
C.J. Ham credits two monumental forces in his life with motivating him to make the world a better place.
“I try to resemble Jesus, my mom’s love was the closest that I had to Jesus’ love. And I don’t think I can love in quite the same way Mom did … but I’m sure going to try.”
The NFL’s winner of the Walter Payton Award will be announced during the week of the Super Bowl in February. Whether Ham wins it or not, he and the community are already winners for the continued work that he and his family have done.