In the midst of a breakout season on the field, Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin has been nominated by his team for the ‘2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year’ as a servant leader in his hometown Indianapolis and Philadelphia:
“The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award honors an NFL player for his accomplishments both on and off the field.” The award was created in 1970. It was renamed Walter Payton Field in 1999 after the late Hall of Fame Chicago Bears running back. Each team selects one player who has made a significant positive contribution to his community.
32 players are chosen as their team’s Man of the Year and become eligible to win the national award, representing the best of the NFL’s commitment to philanthropy and community impact.
Each year, the winner of the award receives a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice. Each of the 32 nominees will receive a donation of up to $55,000 to their charity of choice. The NFL Foundation and Nationwide are responsible for all donations.
The winner of this year’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award will be announced live on CBS at 9 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, February 8th.”
Despite the fact that all of the nominees are ‘winners’ here, legendary Colts quarterback Peyton Manning was the last member of the franchise to win the award back in 2005.
Franklin currently ranks second in the league in total tackles (130), but it’s his community initiatives off the field, such as ‘Shelice’s Angels,’ which seeks to professionally empower young women in honor of his late mother, that distinguish him as a stand-out special leader for the Colts and society at large:
“First and foremost, yes, he was a great player, yes, he was a great leader.” But he also had a positive impact on every community he visited,” Franklin said of his nomination via Colts.com.
“And he left it better (than) how he found it.”
Best wishes, Zaire! Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Colts are fortunate to have you.
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