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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby headlines the list of nominees for the 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year award.
The league unveiled the full list of 32 nominees—one from each team—on Thursday.
The Walter Payton Man of the Year award is given to the player for their excellence on and off the field.
Each team nominates one player who makes the most significant impact in the local community, as well as their performance in games.
Kelce launched the 87 and Running charity foundation in 2015. The organization provides young people in underserved communities to by offering support to build a future through fundraising, athletic programs and mentoring programs.
Crosby’s foundation is dedicated to various charitable causes, including providing support for teen substance abuse intervention, youth health and wellness, and animal rescue and abuse prevention.
The Raiders star has been open about his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction dating back to his time in college at Eastern Michigan.
The Man of the Year award was first handed out in 1970 to Johnny Unitas. It was renamed to the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 1999 in honor of the legendary Chicago Bears running back who died that same year at the age of 46.
Past winners include Payton (1977), John Elway (1992), Dan Marino (1998), Peyton Manning (2005) and J.J. Watt (2017).
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward won the award last year.
This year’s winner will be announced during the NFL Honors ceremony on Feb. 6 as part of the festivities in New Orleans leading up to Super Bowl 59.
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