The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominees are here.
Every year since 1970 — the award was named after the legendary Hall of Fame running back in 1999 — each NFL team nominates one player who, per the league, “has had a significant positive impact on his community.”
Then, a panel of judges decide which player receives the honor that names like JJ Watt, Russell Wilson, Eli Manning and Anquan Boldin have earned due to their incredible community service.
In recent years, we’ve seen some awesome videos — some heartfelt, some with surprises — revealing the nominees from various teams, which we’ve collected below. Here are a bunch we saw on Tuesday morning:
The 32 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominees embody what it means to be a community champion.
Meet the men of the NFL that are making an impact far beyond the gridiron. ๐ @Nationwide | #WPMOY pic.twitter.com/2kV3lvS4up
— NFL (@NFL) December 7, 2021
1
Kansas City Chiefs: Tyronn Mathieu
We need your help, Chiefs Kingdomโผ๏ธ
Tweet out #WPMOYChallenge + Mathieu to vote for @Mathieu_Era! The winner of the Charity Challenge presented by @Nationwide will be awarded a $25,000 contribution to a charity of their choice. Every RT is a vote ๐ณ pic.twitter.com/Nw597IipcL
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 7, 2021
2
Indianapolis Colts: Kenny Moore II
Sharing the news with Kenny (with some extra help). ๐#WPMOYChallenge x Moore II pic.twitter.com/OvDeWL9cNe
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) December 7, 2021
3
New York Giants: Logan Ryan
.@RealLoganRyan's dedication to his community has earned him our Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination!
๐ฐ: https://t.co/1vlbdl9VLw pic.twitter.com/PwoNFnNWhc
— New York Giants (@Giants) December 7, 2021
4
Green Bay Packers: Aaron Jones
Making an impact on & off the field.
RETWEET to congratulate @Showtyme_33 on being our #WPMOY nominee & help him earn a $25,000 donation to the charity of his choice.#WPMOYChallenge + Jones#WPMOYChallenge + Jones#WPMOYChallenge + Jones#WPMOYChallenge + Jones pic.twitter.com/WxwS3drhOE
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 7, 2021
5
Houston Texans: Justin Reid
Dedicated to making an impact.
Full video ยป https://t.co/OHpNSiRMPm pic.twitter.com/aB0xeLXXcZ
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) December 7, 2021
6
Minnesota Vikings: Anthony Barr
As a child, @AnthonyBarr saw firsthand the challenge it is for a single parent to continue their education to provide a better future for their family.
For his work in tackling poverty 2 generations at a time, Barr is our 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year Nominee. pic.twitter.com/CV5Tdxa7se
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 7, 2021
7
Seattle Seahawks: Tyler Lockett
โItโs being able to see them be the best self they could possibly be. One step closer to their dreams, one step closer to their potential.โ@TDLockett12 #WPMOYChallenge pic.twitter.com/EHx4Y83Isf
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 7, 2021
8
Atlanta Falcons: Mike Davis
What a moment ๐ฅบ@MikeDavisRB was told he was our Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee by his high school coach. pic.twitter.com/8K3yrxfURb
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 7, 2021
9
Las Vegas Raiders: Darren Waller
Great on the field. Even better off it.
Darren Waller is our Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee. Learn more ยป https://t.co/ZRZifZP93p@Rackkwall83 | @Nationwide pic.twitter.com/wwWpWIltyA
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) December 7, 2021
10
New England Patriots: Lawrence Guy
โI just hope my legacy is people understanding what I truly was able to accomplish – thatโs ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฒ๐น๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฒ๐น๐ฑ.โ @thatLGUY | #WPMOY pic.twitter.com/H1aeFWrU6U
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 7, 2021
11
Chicago Bears: Jimmy Graham
And we thought we were being sneaky… ๐
Congrats to our Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, @TheJimmyGraham!@Nationwide | #WPMOYChallenge pic.twitter.com/orKtM2lLdo
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 7, 2021
