The Walter Payton Award is given for outstanding performance by a player both on and off the field.

It entails a player’s appearance both in games and in volunteer work. You may have noticed that it says Man of the Year and not Player of the Year. 

The Walter Payton Award is a mark of absolute glory for an NFL player; it signifies that a person has worked for his team and his community to such an extent that they deserve the title Man of the Year.

History of the Walter Payton Award

Walter Payton was the pioneer of the NFL Man of the Year award. The Chicago Bears running back was known for his work off the field just as much as on the field. 

He was a beloved member of his community, and the Payton family has worked tirelessly for years in the Walter Payton Foundation to make the community of Illinois a better place for generations to come.

Before 1999, the award was called the NFL Man of the Year; Walter Payton received it in 1977.

The NFL Man of the Year award was established in 1970, and Johnny Unitas was the first recipient.

After his untimely death, the award was renamed to honour his memory and his humanitarian work for his state. Since then, the award has been officially called the Walter Payton NFL Man of The Year Award.

Noteworthy recipients of the Walter Payton Award

Now that we know what the Walter Payton Award is given for, how about we shed light on a few recipients whose work brought them this honour:

• In 1970, Johnny Unitas, considered one of the greatest players of all time, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, was given the award for his pure perfection in the previous seasons.
• In 1974, George Frederick Blanda, the Man who holds the record for most points scored in NFL career history (943), was awarded Man of the Year for his remarkable performance.
• In 1977, Walter ‘Sweetness’ Payton was the Man who changed the course of football history forever and received the award for his charity work and outstanding performance on the field.
• In 1980, Harold Carmichael, this wide receiver, was awarded the Man of the Year for his stellar performance and record-holding receptions and takedowns.
• In 1984, Martin Anthony Lyons, the New York Jets defensive tackle, founded the Marty Lyons Foundation, which granted terminally ill children their special wishes; as a result of this work, he won the award.
• In 1990, Mike Singletary, also known as Samurai Mike, was the linebacker for the Chicago Bears and played alongside Payton. He was known as his team’s Heart of Defense.
• In 1996, Darrell Green, also called the Ageless Wonder for his excellent performance even in his later years, won 2 Super Bowls for his team. He was awarded Man of the Year for his foundation, the Darrell Green Youth Life Foundation, which helped children in his community.
• In 2000, Derrick Brooks, a linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, won the award for his work through his foundation, Derrick Brooks Charities and his long list of records.
• In 2005, Peyton Manning, a man who needs no introduction, “the Sheriff,” won more awards than we can list. From Super Bowl Championships to five-time NFL MVP and a hall of famer across five states and Pro Football, this Man brought modern football to a whole new era.
• In 2011, Matt Birk was named Man of the Year for his work with the HIKE Foundation. The Harvard graduate played centre for the Minnesota Vikings for 13 seasons.
• In 2016, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning’s younger brother, won this prestigious award for the “Eli Manning’s Children’s Clinics” at the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children.
• In 2023, Cameron Heyward, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive tackle, was awarded Man of The Year in February 2024 for his work in cancer awareness and raising money for various organizations.

How the Walter Payton Award is decided

Of course, no one understands what is the Walter Payton Award given for better than the people who decide which player will be granted this honour. 

The decision is made by a panel of judges that includes the NFL commissioner, the previous year’s winner, and some past winners. The judges base the final decision on how much work a player has done in charitable organizations and volunteer work.

A total of 32 nominees are listed for the award, of which one player comes forth. That one player is awarded the trophy and a donation of $250,000 to the foundation of their choice. Finalists also get to decide on a donation of $100,000 to charities of their preference. 

This way, the charity work continues, and the memory of Walter Payton is honoured every year.

The Walter Payton Award in FCS

There is another award in the Football Championship Subdivision, specifically in the NCAA Division I, called the Walter Payton Award.

This award is given to the most remarkable performance by an offensive player across the national college level football.

This award was inaugurated in 1987 to honour Jackson State legend Walter Payton, and since then, it has been given to the best-performing players. In 1995, the award became restricted to offensive players, and the Buck Buchanan Award was inaugurated for defensive players. 

Kenny Gamble was the first recipient of the Walter Payton Award for the Colgate Raiders. He won the award in 1987 and joined the NFL just the year after. 

Most recently, Mark Gronowski, a quarterback for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, won this prestigious award for his performance last year. He has led his team to becoming FCS National Champions for two consecutive years and was named MVP in 2023 and 2024. He received the Walter Payton Award in 2023 for his incredible performance across the FCS league.

Conclusion of What is The Walter Payton Award Given For

The Walter Payton Award in the NFL is the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. It is given to players whose work for charity and community is especially outstanding.

This allows even underrated players with low on-field performance to be granted an honourable achievement for their community work.

The award is a trophy and donation of $250,000 to the player’s choice of foundation. 

There have been several recipients over the years for this award, most of whom received it for their foundations that helped children of their community.

The Walter Payton Award in the FCS is a divisional award for college-level offensive players with outstanding performance. It started 37 years ago and continues to honour Walter Payton’s memory.

Most of the players given this award moved on to being drafted in the NFL as this award highlights their record on a national level.

FAQs