The New England Patriots announced Lawrence Guy Sr. as its nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of The Year Award presented by Nationwide. Considered one of the league's most prestigious honors, the _Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award _presented by Nationwide recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field. Each of the league's 32 nominees were announced today.
Lawrence and his wife, Andrea, established the Lawrence Guy Family Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides resources and opportunities for financially disadvantaged families. Among many community initiatives, the Lawrence Guy Family Foundation hosts four big events each year. The first being a backpack giveaway. Lawrence and Andrea invited 150 high school students to Gillette Stadium and gave each student a backpack full of essential school supplies. They also hosted a baby shower for underprivileged families, providing more than $80,000 worth of products and gifts to single mothers who are expecting or recently had a baby. For the fourth consecutive year, the foundation hosted its "Thanksgiving with the Guys," where they provided 200 local families with Thanksgiving meals. Finally, Lawrence and Andrea partner with a local Dick's Sporting Goods to host a holiday shopping spree for underprivileged children called Shop with a Jock, where each child is provided dinner, a t-shirt and a gift card to shop with. The Guys are also hosting a holiday party for five families from the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester for a dinner at Gillette Stadium. Each family received more than a dozen gifts, a Christmas tree, participated in holiday themed activities and played games on the game field.
Since joining the Patriots, Lawrence has been one of the most active players in the New England communities. In addition to the work he does with his own foundation, he has eagerly participated in numerous events hosted by the New England Patriots Foundation, including the Thanksgiving basket giveaway, the Children's Holiday Party for 250 children from the Salvation Army and community centers across the region, and Gifts from the Gridiron, a holiday shopping event for youth experiencing homelessness. Lawrence has also donned costumes for the annual Halloween celebration for children battling cancer. He is constantly seeking out more ways to get involved and give back. Lawrence aims to let his career as a football player serve as his platform to improve the lives of people in need.
"It is a tremendous honor to be chosen as the Patriots 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee," said Lawrence Guy Sr. "My wife and I have always made giving back a priority, and the NFL and New England Patriots have given us a special platform to do so. My goal is to show up for the communities that shows up for me every Sunday. It is a blessing to be nominated because Walter Payton left such an inspiring legacy on this game, one that I will continue to try to emulate."
"We are honored to nominate Lawrence Guy for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award," said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. "Since he arrived in New England five years ago, no player has dedicated more time or more personal resources to positively impact the lives of others in our New England communities. Lawrence and his wife Andrea have made it a personal priority to do more every year that they have been here and continue to exceed all expectations in terms of their generosity. He leads by example and is a great ambassador for the Patriots, both on and off the field."
As a nominee, Lawrence Guy Sr. will wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of the season in recognition of his accomplishments on and off the field.
All 32 team winners will be highlighted as nominees and recognized for their important work during the weekend leading up to Super Bowl LVII. The 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year will be announced during NFL Honors, a primetime awards special to air the Thursday before Super Bowl LVII, on NBC.
All 32 nominees will receive up to a $40,000 donation in their name to their charity of choice. The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award will receive up to a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice. All donations are courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Nationwide's 8th annual Charity Challenge, a social media campaign designed to support and promote team nominees. Fans can vote on Twitter by using #WPMOYChallenge followed by their favorite nominee's last name or Twitter handle. The player whose unique mention is used the most between Dec. 6 and Jan. 8 will receive a $25,000 contribution to his charity of choice, while the second and third place finishers will receive $10,000 and $5,000 donations, all courtesy of Nationwide. Hashtag information and official rules can be found at nfl.com/manoftheyear.
