The 2022 NFL Honors ceremony has announced its winners, and Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth took home the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. One of the greatest honors bestowed upon an active NFL player, Whitworth will now don a WPMOY patch for the rest of his playing career.
Andrew Whitworth wins 2021 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award
Whitworth has blocked the blindside of his quarterbacks for 16 seasons at an elite level. For all his greatness on the field, he has made an even bigger impact off of the field. While Whitworth will once again hit the field on the biggest stage in Super Bowl 56, the big man with an even bigger heart gets to celebrate earning the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
NFL.com describes the award as, “Typically the last award of the evening, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year is presented to a player in recognition of his ‘outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on it.'”
Whitworth’s work off of the field
Whitworth launched the “Big Whit Homes for L.A. Families” program at the beginning of the 2021 season. Additionally, he pledged to donate $20,000 after each LA home game this year. Alongside the new program, Whitworth made donations to repair houses in Lousiana (his home state) and moved Los Angeles citizens with housing insecurity into affordable living spaces.
Also, Whitworth works with non-profits in LA to help those struggling to pay rent, buy groceries, and afford down payments/furnishings for new homes. Moreover, Whitworth partnered with Rebuilding Together to aid those in need after Hurricane Ida hit Lousiana last August.
As part of winning the WPMOTY, Whitworth will receive a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice. Furthermore, all 32 nominees for the award receive a $40,000 donation in their name to their preferred charities.
The 40-year-old offensive tackle may play his last game on Sunday. And if the Rams win the Super Bowl, Whitworth will be one of four players to win the award and the Super Bowl in the same season. The three others? QB Johnny Unitas (Baltimore Colts, 1970), DL Joe Greene (Pittsburgh Steelers, 1979), and QB Joe Theismann (Washington, 1982).