Myles Garrett and Russell Wilson are among the 32 nominees to win this year's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, the award given annually to an NFL player who demonstrates excellence on and off of the field. Payton, one of the greatest players of all-time, received the honor in 1977 for his work on the field and in his community. The award was re-named in his honor shortly after his death in 1999.
The award started in 1970, with former Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas becoming its first recipient. Six active players -- Drew Brees (2006), Jason Witten (2012), Thomas Davis (2014), Larry Fitzgerald (2016), J.J. Watt (2017) and Calais Campbell (2019) -- have won what many consider to be the greatest individual honor the league has to offer. Here's the complete list of this year's nominees.
| Team | Player |
|---|---|
Shaq Thompson | |
Myles Garrett | |
Indianapolis Colts | |
*Pierre Desir | |
Russell Wilson | |
Washington Football Team |
*Currently with Ravens
A panel of judges, which includes commissioner Roger Goodell and the previous recipients of the award, will select this year's winner. This year's winner will receive a $250,000 donation in his name to the charity of his choice. The other 31 finalists will receive a $50,000 donation to charities of their choice. Since 2017, the winners of the award also receive a patch depicting the trophy on their uniforms that will stay on their jersey for the remainder of their careers.
This year's winner will be announced during the NFL's annual awards show that will be held the night before Super Bowl LV.
