The NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award is an achievement that recognizes a player’s greatest off-the-field by the way he impacts his community in a positive way.
Each year, each of the league’s 32 clubs nominates one player for the award.
At One Arrowhead Drive, the Kansas City Chiefs are nominating tight end Travis Kelce for his “87 and Running” charity.
“87 and Running” is a nonprofit organization that empowers disadvantaged youth to achieve success by providing resources and support to their communities and cultivating their talent in the areas of education, business, athletics, STEM, and the arts.
The charity’s goal seeks to change the outcomes of underserved youth in communities across the U.S. by creating access to opportunities, enrichment, and advancement.
On the charity’s official website, Kelce’s pledges the following:
“Travis and 87 & Running have consistently shown up, but nothing highlights that more than when times were tough the last few years. Making sure meals were had, doors remained open, and kids remained inspired through quarantines and shutdowns, Travis and his team were there.
You need a team to be great on and off the field. Thank you for being part of ours. This past year Travis’ groundbreaking work was celebrated when we partnered with Operation Breakthrough to open the Ignition Lab – a co-working space for teens in STEM. Every pledge, every donation, and every one of you help us do that work every day.
THANK YOU!”
The winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year award will be announced at the NFL Honors Awards ceremony on February 6. Voting for the award ends January 6.
