Packers' De'Vondre Campbell nominated for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award
GREEN BAY – Packers linebacker De'Vondre Campbell is the team's nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, which recognizes an NFL player for excellence on and off the field.
He joins teammate Aaron Jones as a nominee for a league-wide award. Jones is the Packers' nominee for the Salute to Service Award presented by USAA. The award honors a league member who demonstrates an exemplary commitment to honoring and supporting the military community.
Campbell was recognized for his character on and off the field, particularly through his work with his foundation, the De’Vondre Campbell Family Youth Foundation. Founded in 2019, the foundation’s mission is to empower at-risk youth and families in need through resource distribution, scholarship, educational advancement and mentorship-based programming. It organizes community-centered events that directly provide relief, impact and create change for those in need.
"He does so much work with his foundation ... to help families in need through football camps, donations and their Adopt A Family program," said Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy.
In addition to his annual football camp in his home community in Florida, Campbell demonstrated a passion for education with programs that focus on helping students and teachers gain access to resources and much-needed school supplies. He provided $10,000 in teacher supply kits, paper, writing utensils and classroom supplies to a local elementary school in Green Bay, along with 200 backpacks and supply kits for families in need.
The foundation worked to address food insecurity by teaming up with local grocery stores to distribute hundreds of turkeys over the years to those in need at Thanksgiving. Campbell and his wife, Nicole, helped lead several distribution and volunteer sessions at Paul’s Pantry, a local Green Bay food pantry, to provide those in need with Campbell’s Chunky Soup. This fall, the pair volunteered at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, joining volunteers in packing holiday food boxes.
Last year, Campbell’s Adopt a Family Program donated $50,000 in gifts, fulfilling every item on the Christmas wish lists of 25 families in need in both the Green Bay and Minnesota areas. He went door-to-door delivering many of the gifts, from new appliances to toys to a new car. After being connected to one of the families through the Adopt a Family program, Campbell’s foundation helped pay for a wedding for one of the families, providing more than $30,000 in donations and in-kind support. This year, Adopt a Family is aiming to reach 35 families.
The winner of the Walter Payton award receives a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice. All 32 nominees receive up to a $55,000 donation to their charity of choice. The winner will be announced live Feb. 8 at NFL Honors event in Las Vegas.
Charity Challenge
Also, fans are encouraged to participate in the annual Charity Challenge, a social media and online contest that allows fans to show support for their favorite nominee. Fans can vote on X (formerly 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 votes will win an additional $35,000 donation to the charity of their choice, with the runner-up receiving $10,000 and the third-place finisher receiving $5,000. Charity Challenge voting takes place from Dec. 5 to Jan. 8.
Fans can vote for their choice at nfl.com/honors/man-of-the-year/.
Two other Packers won the award: Bart Starr in 1969, when it was called the Gladiator Award, and Jim Flanigan in 2000. Two players who had an association with the Packers also won: John Hadl in 1971, when he was with the San Diego Chargers, and Kurt Warner in 2008, when he was with the Arizona Cardinals.
More: Packers, Fleet Farm program raises money to improve veterans' health, reduce suicides
Salute to Service
Jones, whose parents were both career military members, was nominated for the Walter Payton award in 2021 and 2022, and this year is the Salute to Service nominee.
Jones is a spokesperson for the initiative and takes every opportunity to honor veterans. He promoted Patriot K9s of Wisconsin, a nonprofit devoted to connecting veterans with trained service dogs. Jones sent videos to veterans, spoken with youth at military academies and taken part in events such as the team's Huddle for Heroes, aimed at honoring veterans. He visited service members in the hospital and visited military bases, including Fort Bliss in hometown of El Paso, Texas.
Jones' A&A All the Way Foundation, which he founded with his twin brother, Alvin, demonstrates his dedication to military members, helping those in need with special focus on honoring and empowering military families. They provide special, joy-filled experiences to children who have parents serving in the military, honoring the sacrifice these families make. The Foundation's annual gala also raises money for military families, aimed at connecting them with the resources and care they need.
Finalists will be announced in January and recognized at the NFL Honors event in Las Vegas.
More: YouTuber Tom Grossi became a Packers fan because of the Cowboys, now he's Fan of the Year nominee
Fan of the Year
The Packers' nominee for NFL Fan of the Year is Tom Grossi, who runs a YouTube channel that focuses on the Packers and the NFL in general. Grossi also raised more than $500,000 for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital by visiting all 30 NFL stadiums in 30 days.
Fan of the Year voting can be done at nfl.com/honors/fan-of-the-year/2023/vote.
Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG/.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: De'Vondre Campbell is Packers nominee for Walter Payton Man of Year
