The Green Bay Packers have nominated running back Aaron Jones for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award; This award is one of the league’s most prestigious. According to the NFL, the award recognizes “an NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field as well as excellence on the field.” The league nominated 32 players, which you can see here.
Packers President/CEO Patrick Murphy said, “We are so proud of Aaron and all the work he does off the field for the community here in Wisconsin and in his hometown of El Paso…He exemplifies what it means to be devoted to both his team and his community. He is a great player, and an even better person. We are so fortunate to have him in Green Bay.”
Community Efforts
As a son of U.S. Army veterans, Jones has given back to the community in several ways. One of them being the Packers’ Salute to Service, sending videos to troops and speaking to the youth at military academies. Additionally, Jones has visited service members who are in the hospital and also has visited military bases.
Along with his brother Alvin, Jones established the A&A All The Way Foundation. This foundation looks to help make an impact on the nation’s youth through giving back and taking action. For the last four years, they have hosted a skills camp for free in their hometown of El Paso, Texas. Jones was also nominated for the NFL Salute to Service Award in 2018 for his passion and dedication to those serving the country.
In light of his nomination, Jones told Packers.com, “It means everything to me. Me and my family have always been big on giving back to the community and different things like that. Just to be mentioned in the same sentence as some of these guys who are nominated or some of these guys who have won before is a huge honor.” As the nominee for the Packers, Jones will sport a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year decal on his helmet for the rest of the season.
How Fans Can Get Involved
There is also a social media challenge that is apart of the award. Packers fans can vote for Aaron Jones on Twitter by tweeting, “#WPMOYChallenge Jones” or #WPMOYChallenge @Showtyme_33″ until the middle of January. The player that receives the most votes via the hashtags will receive a $25,000 donation to the charity of their choice, while the second place player earns a $10,000 donation, and third place receives a $5,000 donation. Make sure fans vote online for Jones!
Former Packers Jimmy Graham of the Chicago Bears and Corey Linsley of the Los Angeles Chargers hare also nominees for this award. The WPMOY award, along with its predecessor, the Gladiator Award, have been around since 1969. Past winners include those of Bart Starr and Jim Flanigan, and former Wisconsin Badgers players J.J. Watt and Russell Wilson.
The award is to be announced during the NFL Honors before the Super Bowl in February.
For More…
Follow me on Twitter at @sarahspooon and follow us at @WiSportsHeroics! For all things Wisconsin sports, click here!
