The Carolina Panthers announced today wide receiver DJ Moore 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.
Through the work of his Moore2Life Foundation, Moore supports at-risk youth and families in need through resource distribution, educational advancement, and mentorship-based programming. Growing up with a single mom in the heart of Philadelphia, Moore witnessed gun shots, sirens, and violence on a regular basis. Through the eyes of his young daughter, Ari, Moore intends to change that viewpoint and show the importance of giving back.
Since joining the NFL as first-round draft choice in 2018, Moore has used his platform to serve others through an annual roster of programs that target high-needs youth and families. His annual efforts include school supply, Thanksgiving meal and holiday toy distributions.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Moore continued his community outreach this year, giving back in Charlotte and Philadelphia. In May, Moore provided more than 250 students at Hawthorne Academy, a high-needs school in Charlotte, with food security and new backpacks. In July, Moore hosted a free youth football camp in Philadelphia that impacted 100 underserved children. The football camp provided more than $30,000 of in-kind support, gifts, food, and equipment. Later that month, Moore hosted another camp in Charlotte for an additional 100 at-risk youth. At the conclusion of each football camp, participants received a new bicycle.
On the field, Moore has established himself as a top receiver in the NFL. Since the start of 2019, he ranks fifth in the NFL in total receiving yards (3,119) and is on pace in 2021 to record his third consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season.
“Growing up in Philadelphia and seeing people give back to try to make a difference, and then having my daughter Ari, really inspired me to give back too,” Moore said. “Through my foundation, I want to try to change things for other people so that they don’t have to experience some of the things that I experienced. I’m thankful for the opportunities I have to give back to the communities in both Charlotte and my hometown, and to be nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is an amazing honor.”
As a nominee, Moore 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.
“The Carolina Panthers are pleased to recognize DJ Moore as the team’s 2021 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee,” said Riley Fields, director of community relations for the Carolina Panthers. “DJ is committed to using his platform to serve the needs of youth and families both in the Carolinas and his hometown of Philadelphia. On the field, he’s a rising young star in the NFL, and off the field, his work is certainly deserving of this recognition.”
For the fourth year in a row, all 32 team winners will be highlighted as nominees and recognized for their important work during the weekend leading up to Super Bowl LVI. The 2021 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year will be announced during NFL Honors, a primetime awards special to air the Thursday before Super Bowl LVI, on ABC.
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 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 7th 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 hashtag is used the most between Dec. 7 and Jan. 17 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.
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