The Los Angeles Rams announced that offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth is their nominee for the 2019 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide.
The annual award is one of the most prestigious honors in the league as it is given to an NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field.
For being a nominee, Whitworth will get to wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of the season. In addition to being the leader of the Rams’ offensive line on the field, Whitworth has also made a big impact off the field in the community.
Through his Big Whit 77 foundation, Whitworth and his wife Melissa have created scholarship programs, offered financial aid to families in the process of adoption as well as helped out families in need during the holiday time.
Additionally, Whitworth was also instrumentally involved in the Los Angeles community a year ago when tragedy struck both in the form of a shooting at Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks near the Rams’ practice facility, and the ensuing wildfires all throughout California.
Whitworth not only donated money to help the victims, but he also auctioned off his game-worn jersey from the Rams’ Monday Night Football win over the Kansas City Chiefs to help raise even more money.
Those are just a few of the many things Whitworth and Melissa have done in the community in recent years, making him the perfect candidate for this award.
Whitworth and the other 31 nominees will be recognized during Super Bowl week in Miami this February. Then, the winner will be announced during NFL Honors, a two-hour primetime awards special to air nationally on Feb. 1, the eve of Super Bowl LIV, on FOX. NFL Honors will be at the Adrienne Arsht Center in downtown Miami.
All 32 nominees will receive a donation of up to $50,000 in their name to their charity of choice and the winner will receive $250,000, presented by the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.
Some of the other notable nominees in addition to Whitehead include Cam Newton, Jarvis Landry, Tahir Whitehead, Kyle Rudolph, Richard Sherman, Mike Evans and Bobby Wagner.
