Getty Bradley Bozeman during a Ravens game in 2020.
One of the most special times of year is when teams reveal their Walter Payton Man of the Year award nominees. Some teams choose to roll the information out with a press release, while others have something a bit more special planned.
The Baltimore Ravens pulled out all the stops to reveal that Bradley Bozeman was their man for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. John Harbaugh made the announcement to the team after practice and surprised Bozeman with the reveal. It’s clear the lineman was incredibly fired up and the team was to hear the news as well.
Here’s a look:
Coach Harbaugh had a little surprise for the team at practice…
#WPMOYChallenge + Bozeman |
@BSBoze @Nationwide 💜
The players roar their approval of Bozeman, who then is allowed to give a speech. He thanked everyone for their support of him on the team.
It’s neat to see a player get nominated and even neater to see Bozeman get his due for the work he is doing in the community. The Ravens employ the reigning Walter Payton Man of the Year winner in Calais Campbell, and it would be notable to see them get a second one in 2020.
How Bradley Bozeman Earned Nomination From Ravens
Bozeman along with his wife Nikki are involved in the Bradley and Nikki Bozeman Foundation that began in 2018, which focuses on helping to serve the community with a focus on at risk youth and childhood bullying. The foundation has worked some recent wonders in the community, with Bozeman’s doing food drives and striving to help make the community a better place for everyone.
Please support @bradnikkiboze as they help the hungry this holiday season. @BSBoze
“If you’re sitting in this audience right now and you feel like nobody cares, nobody’s here to listen. I promise you, me and Nikki, we care about each and every one of y’all.”
LG @BSBoze and his wife, Nikki, embarked on a cross country anti-bullying RV tour:
Bozeman’s tireless work off the field is certainly notable, and for him, the honor is helping folks and not being nominated for awards. Certainly, it’s nice to see some recognition come for all the hard work he has done since coming to the Ravens roster.
Walter Payton Man of the Year Award Explained
The award is one of the highest honors a player can receive, and just being nominated is simply impressive and a major honor for many. As explained in Grant Gordon’s NFL.com piece revealing the nominees, the award is a tribute to Payton’s spirit and what he stood for as a person and ambassador for the game.
“Payton left it all on the field and gave of himself off it.
Thusly, as has now become a yearly tradition at NFL Honors, the final accolade of the evening is the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, presented to a player in recognition of his “outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on it.”
The 2020 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year will be announced during NFL Honors, which will air on CBS the week of Super Bowl LV. Each nominee will receive a $40,000 donation in their name to their chosen charity, while the winner will receive a $250,000 donation to the charity of their choice.”
If that isn’t enough, the player will get the distinct honor of joining an esteemed club of winners and folks who can always hold their heads up high and say that they stood for something a bit more than football during their time playing the game.
Hopefully, Bozeman can join Calais Campbell in being a winner. Even if he isn’t selected, the work will not stop and will only continue for the foundation as it relates to helping make the world a better place for kids and the community as a whole.
READ NEXT: Analyst: Ravens Getting Good Again a ‘Scary Thing’