Meet the 2016 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award Finalists

The NFL announced the three finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide at a press conference at the Moscone Media Center in San Francisco Friday morning. San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Anquan Boldin, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson are the three finalists chosen for the honor.

The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field. The award was established in 1970. It was renamed in 1999 after the late Hall of Fame Chicago Bears running back, Walter Payton.

Each team nominates one player who has had a significant positive impact on his community.  The nominees for Super Bowl 50 participants were Denver Broncos safety David Burton Jr. and Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen. Olsen’s team mate linebacker Thomas Davis was the recipient of this same honor last season.

Walter Payton’s daughter, Brittney Payton, addressed the audience and spoke of the community service work the finalists are doing.

“Benjamin Watson’s ONE MORE foundation carries the hope and love of Christ who need it most… While understanding the best and effective way to reach people’s hearts is by first meeting their physical needs.”
 “Eli Manning is an avid supporter of causes that support children… Eli and his wife founded the Eli and Abby Children’s Clinics in 2007 and kicked off a five-year funding campaign raising nearly $3 million.”
 “Anquan Boldin continues to seize opportunities to save lives… The Anquan Boldin (Q81) Foundation was formed in 2004 with a mission to expand the education and life opportunities of underprivileged youths.

Watson hosts several youth football camps, is a spokesperson for All Pro Dads and annually holds an annual event where he selects 25 families from a domestic shelter and treats them to a shopping spree for their family’s needs.

“It’s an honor to be standing in front of you as a finalist,” Watson said. “I want to thank the Payton family for continuing to being an example of excellence. One thing my wife and I always talk about is leaving a legacy not only for our children but other people we come in contact with.”

Manning had served as the chairman of the New York March for Babies, Tackle Kids’ Cancer, Guiding Eyes’ for the Blind and other charities to add to his own foundation. He also recently partnered with FedEx for their newly established program.

“I really want to thank Nationwide and the Walter Payton Man of the Year [committee] for supporting and recognizing all the great works NFL players are doing in their communities,” Manning said. “It’s funny having known these guys for 12 years. We all trained together back in 2004. Our finest moments won’t be the catches, the touchdowns or our successes on the field but the impact we’ve made on people’s lives in our communities.”

Boldin was the 2014 recipient of the NFLPA Byron “Whizzer” White Award, which recognizes the player who goes above and beyond to perform community service. Boldin’s Q81 foundation has showcased charitable activities in Phoenix, Baltimore, South Florida and the San Francisco Bay Area — all communities he has lived and served in throughout his playing career.

“I was definitely honored to be here,” said Boldin. “The things that we do in the community is not for accolades. It’s because we truly feel in our heart that it’s the right thing to do. We want to see people succeed and be successful in their lives, as well.”

The winner will be announced during NFL Honors, a two-hour primetime special airing nationally on Saturday, the night before Super Bowl 50, from 9-11 p.m. ET on CBS.

The winner will receive a $55,000 donation in his name to a charity of his choice and the two runners-up will receive an $11,000 donation. The other 29 team finalists received a $5,000 donation. Donations are courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.

FedEx Commits to Delivering for Good

FedEx, the NFL and Eli Manning teamed up to host a press conference and panel discussion at the Super Bowl 50 Media Center Presented by Microsoft on Tuesday. The press conference, moderated by USA Today editor David Meeks, unveiled a new global FedEx program called FedEx Cares. Since 2002, FedEx has donated almost $2 million to important community initiatives as part of the FedEx Air & Ground NFL program.

FedEx Senior Vice President of Integrated Marketing Communications Patrick Fitzgerald made the announcement that FedEx Cares is donating $50 million for immediate use for disaster preparedness and relief efforts in honor of Super Bowl 50. The $50 million contribution is part of a larger $200 million commitment to over 200 communities globally by 2020.

“FedEx and our team members have a long history of supporting the communities where we live and work,” said Fitzgerald. “This new strategy builds on that heritage and takes it to the next level by focusing on ways we can use our operational strength and business expertise to address social challenges.”

Manning, a well-known philanthropist and nominee for this year’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award, discussed being a part of this program is important to him.

“I think it’s a wonderful cause and wonderful program,” said Manning. “The things that FedEx can do by getting supplies to areas when they see a disaster is on the way and, obviously, what they can do afterwards. It’s just really a great program and I’m honored to be a part of it.”

FedEx Cares will focus on the following “five pillars of strategic investment to strengthen communities:

1. Delivering for Good:  Using our global network to deliver resources where they are needed most in times of disaster and for special shipments.
2. Sustainable Transportation:  Developing solutions that connect the world responsibly and resourcefully.
3. Employment Pathways:  Leveraging their global reach to provide pathways to success for young adults in underserved populations.
4. Road Safety:  Applying their expertise in road safety with its global reach to protect pedestrians and make roads safer.
5. Global Entrepreneurship:  Advancing women and minority-owned small businesses and continuing to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs, helping them access new markets and grow.

Joining Fitzgerald, Manning and Meeks in the panel discussion were:

• Thomas Tighe – President and CEO, Direct Relief (a nonprofit providing medical aid to people around the world)
• Anna Isaacson – Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility, NFL
• Cliff Holtz – President of Humanitarian Services, American Red Cross
• Kristina Griffin – Director of Corporate Alliances, USO

Here are a few highlights from the discussion:

One thing that I have learned as we’ve gone through various natural disasters is the importance of water and our ability to get water in. Whether it be from an earthquake, hurricane or other type of disaster, water is desperately needed. – Patrick Fitzgerald
 I was in New Orleans a couple of days after Hurricane Katrina hit. Just hearing the stories firsthand from the people whose lives were affected by the hurricane about the horror stories they went through. And also how appreciative they were for the American Red Cross for having shelters and the help they were getting trying to get in touch with their family members who might have been displaced. -Eli Manning
 We really feel that responsibility to give back — at the core — and serve our fans who make the game what it is. - Ana Isaacson
 In Nepal, we were getting request for aid — there were thousands dead, traumatic injuries — the supply lines were down. FedEx doesn’t fly there, they hadn’t landed a plane there in 18 years. FedEx said, “we’re in let’s go.” FedEx arrived with over 350 tons of supply. It was this great uplifting moment. -Thomas Tighe
 The American Red Cross responded to 176 major disasters last year in the United States, alone. -Cliff Holtz
 FedEx has truly helped us deliver goodness to our service men and women all over the world. Around Veteran’s Day, we hold a program called “Holidays for Heroes” where we stuff 10,000 care packages in one day to go to our troops in Afghanistan during the holidays. FedEx helps with logistics and their employees volunteer to come in all day and help stuff the packages. -Kristina Griffin.