There is one NFL award given out to players that exemplify a commitment to philanthropy and their local communities at large. Like most NFL awards, the quarterback position has dominated the list of winners.
That honor is the Walter Payton Man of the Year, which has been given out each year since 1970. It was renamed to honor the former Chicago Bears running back after his death in 1999, not only for his legendary status on the field but for his humanitarianism.
At BetMichigan.com, where you can find real money Michigan sportsbook promos, we wanted to know how often different NFL positions are represented among Walton Payton Man Of The Year Award winners. Using Pro-Football-Reference.com, we found the average age of recipients and how often positions won the WPMOY award since 1970.
Walter Payton Man Of The Year Trends: Positions
Position | % of Wins |
QB | 31.6% |
DL | 14.0% |
WR/TE | 12.3% |
LB | 12.3% |
OL | 10.5% |
RB | 8.8% |
DB | 8.8% |
K | 1.8% |
Past winners of the Man of the Year award include Baltimore Colts QB Johnny Unitas, who was the first recipient in 1970 (Green Bay Packers QB Bart Starr won its predecessor, The Gladiator Award, in 1969). Other noteworthy honorees include Len Dawson of the Kansas City Chiefs, Franco Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers, John Elway of the Denver Broncos and, of course, Payton himself.
Some players who are candidates or eventual winners of the Payton Award are also accomplished enough on the field to be up for other awards, offered as props at Michigan betting sites.
The past two winners of the Walter Payton Man of the Year award were Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (2023) and Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys (2022). Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth won it in 2021.
Pattern of Walter Payton Award Winners
For the NFL Man of the Year, each team submits a nominee; the nfl.com page on the award says that nominees should exhibit “excellence on and off the field.” All 32 nominees receive up to a $55,000 donation to their charity of choice and the winner can direct a $250,000 donation to his chosen charity.
Since 1970, the position group that has won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award the most is the league’s quarterbacks – the favorites at Michigan sports betting apps to win a lot of other awards, too. QBs have been honored 31.6% of the time, with 18 winners overall, followed by defensive linemen (14%).
In the past 10 years, three quarterbacks have won the honor: Prescott, Russell Wilson (2020) and Eli Manning. The latter shared the honor with Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals in 2016. Three defensive ends (J.J. Watt, Chris Long and Calais Campbell) have been tabbed in the past decade.
Two wideouts (Anquan Boldin and Fitzgerald) won the honor in successive seasons in 2015 and 2016. Whitworth was the lone offensive tackle and Heyward the only defensive tackle to earn the award since 2014. See our NFL awards page for odds on this year’s categories, including Most Valuable Player.
This season, players from all those position groups and more will look to add their name to the list of NFL legends whose off-the-field work netted them one of the league’s top honors over the years.
Walter Payton Man Of The Year Trends: Average Age
Average Age | 32 |
Since that first award was given out 54 years ago, the average age of Walter Payton Man of the Year winners has been 32, with Heyward (34), Prescott (29), Whitworth (40), Wilson (32) and Campbell (33) running the gamut to average out the aggregate figure of late.
In 2024, while we don’t know which player will take home the Man of the Year accolade, we have a pretty good idea which position groups are most likely to be at top of the list.
Also check out our trends for NFL Comeback Player of the Year at BetMichigan.com.
USA Today photo by Charles LeClaire
