The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is one of the most prestigious honors an NFL player can win. While only a handful of players have the talent to be named MVP, the Man of the Year Award is something every player can strive for.
The award recognizes players for “excellence on and off the field,” and each team nominates one player “who has had a significant positive impact on his community,” according to the league.
This year, the Eagles chose to nominate right tackle Lane Johnson, who has been open about his struggles with anxiety and is a fierce advocate for mental health awareness.
Johnson was surprised with the news during an offensive line meeting earlier this season, and the team posted a video of that moment on social media on Thursday.
.@LaneJohnson65 was not expecting this 🥹@nationwide | #WPMOYChallenge pic.twitter.com/OhGm3tqFul
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 7, 2023
The best part of Johnson’s surprise was the emotional speech given by longtime teammate Jason Kelce, who grew increasingly emotional as he spoke about Johnson’s work in the community.
“This award, a lot of the time, just goes to someone who gives a bunch of [expletive] money to a charity and does a bunch of [expletive] out in the [expletive] open,” Kelce said. “That ain’t you, and we all know that. But that doesn’t take away what you mean to the guys in this room, this building, these people. That’s why they [expletive] nominated you, because everyone finally [expletive] sees who you are.
“When I think of a man, I think of somebody who weathers the ups and downs in life, how you move forward. You’re doing better than I’ve ever seen, and it’s so [expletive] awesome to see. I know it ain’t all been perfect all the time, but there ain’t a [expletive] in the NFL that represents that better than you. That’s important for you to hear.”
If there was any doubt about what the Walter Payton award means to players, Kelce’s emotion when talking about Johnson’s nomination shows how big a deal it is.
