NFL Announces 32 Nominees for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award Presented by Nationwide

Winner to be Announced at NFL Honors the Night Before Super Bowl
LIII

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The NFL announced today the 32 nominees for the WALTER PAYTON
NFL MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD PRESENTED BY NATIONWIDE.
Representing the best of the NFL’s commitment to philanthropy and
community impact, each of these players was selected as his team’s Man
of the Year and is now eligible to win the national award. Considered
one of the league’s most prestigious honors, the Walter Payton
NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide recognizes an
NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field,
as well as excellence on the field. First established in 1970, the
national award was renamed in 1999 after the late Hall of Fame Chicago
Bears running back WALTER PAYTON.

“The Man of the Year Award gives us the opportunity to acknowledge 32
exemplary players whose commitment to excellence extends on and off the
field,” said NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL. “This year’s
nominees have used their platforms to transform communities across the
country. We are proud of their work and celebrate their dedication and
impact through this award.”

New this year, all 32 team winners will be highlighted as finalists and
recognized for their important work during the weekend leading up to
Super Bowl LIII. The 2018 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year will
be announced during NFL Honors, a two-hour primetime awards special to
air nationally on February 2, the eve of Super Bowl LIII, on CBS. NFL
Honors will be at Fox Theatre in Atlanta.

Five hundred thousand dollars will be donated in the name of the 2018
winner. $250,000 will be donated in his name to expand Character
Playbook, the NFL and United Way’s digital character education program.
An additional donation of $250,000 will be donated to the charity of his
choice. All other 31 nominees will receive a donation of $50,000 in
their name to expand Character Playbook, and an additional donation of
up to $50,000 to their charity of choice. All donations are courtesy of
the NFL Foundation, Nationwide and United Way Worldwide.

“Nationwide is honored to help highlight and support the incredible
efforts of this year’s team nominees,” said Nationwide’s Chief Marketing
Officer TERRANCE WILLIAMS. “We hope others are inspired by these
32 men to make positive differences—big and small—in their own
communities. Congratulations and thank you to each of the nominees for
their leadership both on and off the field.”

Fans are encouraged to participate in Nationwide’s 4th annual Charity
Challenge, a social media campaign designed to support and promote team
nominees. Fans can vote by using #WPMOYChallenge on Twitter with their
favorite nominee’s last name somewhere in the post between December 6
and January 13. The player whose unique hashtag is used the most will
receive a $25,000 contribution to their charity of choice, courtesy of
Nationwide. Hashtag information and official rules can be found at nfl.com/manoftheyear.

Beginning in 2017, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year trophy
silhouette came to life in uniform elements to further recognize past
award winners and current nominees. The five current players who have
won the award—DREW BREES, THOMAS DAVIS, LARRY FITZGERALD, ELI MANNING
and J.J. WATT—continue to wear a Man of the Year patch on their
jerseys to recognize their outstanding contributions to the game and to
their communities. All 2018 nominees will wear a Man of the Year helmet
decal beginning Week 14 and continuing through the end of the season in
recognition of their accomplishments on and off the field.

The NFL will also continue to surprise fans across the country with
invitations to attend Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta. A total of 500 free
tickets will be distributed as a way to give back to dedicated NFL fans
and provide them with a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Each Man of the
Year nominee will receive two Super Bowl LIII tickets to give away to
community recipients of their choice.

For more information on the nominees and the award, visit NFL.com/manoftheyear.

Below is a list of the 2018 nominees:

Contacts

Catherine Ellis, NFL: Catherine.Ellis@nfl.com

Jarrett Dunbar, Nationwide: dunbaj1@nationwide.com