FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Dec. 5, 2024 – The New England Patriots announced that defensive end and three-time team captain Deatrich Wise Jr. has been selected as the team's nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide. The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award represents the highest honor a player can achieve, highlighting a commitment to excellence both on the field and in the community that is personified through his passion to impact lives beyond the game.
"I am honored to be nominated for such a prestigious award," Wise said of the honor. "My father played at Jackson State, where Walter Payton's legendary career began, so I have always felt a strong connection to the Jackson State family and their fan base. My father always told me that community service is the price you pay for your time here on earth. Our family has always been active in the community and eager to help others. I hope acts of kindness inspire more acts of kindness. That's really what we aim to achieve through our Wise Up Foundation, leaving this world better than we arrived to it by positively impacting the lives of others in hopes that they will do the same in order to make our communities and world stronger as a result."
"Deatrich's commitment to his craft, constant effort and desire to improve every day has earned the respect and admiration of his coaches and teammates who have selected him as a team captain for the past three seasons," said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. "But it is his commitment to positively impacting the lives of everyone he touches that earns him this honor. He brightens every room he enters with his cheerful smiles and heartfelt embraces. No one has worked harder to earn his role on the team and no one has done more with the platform it has provided him to give back to his community. Deatrich is a great ambassador for the team and for the National Football League and we are proud to nominate him for this year's Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award."
Wise was drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Since joining the team, he has consistently been one of the most active players in the community, always volunteering his time and resources to support the Patriots Foundation's many initiatives. In 2022, he received the Ron Burton Patriots Community Service Award, given annually to a Patriots player to recognize their many contributions to our community. Wise expanded his commitment to giving back by starting the Wise Up Foundation, which he operates along with his family. The mission of the Wise Up Foundation is to P.U.S.H. – Provide educational resources and opportunities, Unite communities, Support underserved student-athletes and Honor America's veterans. This past October, Wise Jr. hosted the Wise Up Foundation's Fifth Annual Block Party at the Josh Kraft Mattapan Teen Center, a center that is part of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, and held activities and giveaways that included haircuts, hair braiding, essential healthcare services and local farm-to- plate foods. Other events hosted annually by the Wise Up Foundation include Hot Meals for Vets, a Christmas feast for veterans; the Unsigned Senior Camp, a camp for high school football players that have not received college scholarship offers; and the Wise Up Big Man Camp, an NFL Combine-like experience for high school offensive and defensive linemen.
The Wise Up Foundation also offers the Winestar Program, an initiative that assists underserved football players with access to recruitment camps through mentorship, education, resources and opportunities. Additionally, the Wise Up Foundation's Bridges 2 Trades program molds a pathway for Boston-area high school students to embark on a journey toward skilled trades careers by equipping them with industry insights, financial education and vital resources.
Outside of his own foundation's programs, Wise has consistently been a supporter of any of his teammates charitable endeavors. In addition to his many visits to hospitals and schools, Wise annually co-hosts and financially supports the Patriots Foundation's Gifts from the Gridiron event that spreads some holiday cheer for children living in homeless shelters who receive a shopping spree with Patriots players as their personal shoppers.
Each nominee will receive up to $55,000 and the award winner will receive up to a $265,000 donation to the charity of their choice. All donations are made possible by the NFL Foundation and Nationwide Foundation.
All 32 nominees will be recognized for their achievements during the week leading up to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. The winner of the 2024 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award will be announced during NFL Honors, a primetime awards special to air nationally on FOX and the NFL Network on Thursday, Feb. 6.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Nationwide's annual Charity Challenge, a social media and online contest that allows fans to show support for their favorite Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee. Fans can vote on X/Twitter by posting #WPMOYChallenge along with the last name/X handle of their chosen nominee or by voting directly on NFL.com/ManOfTheYear. The nominee who receives the most collective hashtag mentions and online votes will win an additional $35,000 donation from Nationwide to the charity of their choice, with the runner-up receiving $10,000 and the third-place winner receiving $5,000.
Beginning Week 14 and continuing through the end of the season, each of this year's nominees, including Deatrich Wise Jr., will wear a special Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal in recognition of their accomplishments on and off the field.
For more information about the award, please visit NFL.com/ManOfTheYear.
