Devin McCourty Named As Patriots' Nominee For Walter Payton MOTY Award

The New England Patriots announced veteran cornerback Devin McCourty as their nominee for the 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award on Thursday.

The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, named in honor of late Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, is rewarded annually to the player who exemplifies "outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on it," according to NFL.com.

On Thursday, all 32 nominees were announced by the franchises their respective franchises, with McCourty representing New England.

"Throughout his career, McCourty has been one of the most active NFL players in the community," the New England Patriots said in a statement released to CBS Boston. He is a member of the Players Coalition Task Force and serves as the Chair of the Players Coalition Education and Economic Advancement Committee. McCourty has advocated for several bills that successfully passed legislation in Massachusetts including “An Act Relative to Criminal Justice Reform” and the Student Opportunity Act.

"He is an instrumental leader in the Patriots Players Social Justice Fund and the Kraft Family/Patriots Player Collaborative Fund, helping allocate significant funds to local grassroots organizations fighting for equity, working to end systemic racism and creating meaningful change in the community. McCourty has participated in roundtable discussions with other NFL players about racism and advocated for nonprofits redirecting gang-involved youth from incarceration to educational and employment opportunities.

"McCourty is also working to bridge the economic divide in education. In March, as the COVID-19 stay at home orders began, he and his twin brother Jason purchased $90,000 worth of Chromebooks for students who did not have access to computers at home. They followed up with a $50,000 donation in early October to support technology needs for underserved high school students."

Devin and his twin brother, Jason, also raised more than $2 million toward research and help for families affected by sickle cell disease through their McCourty Twins Tackle Sickle Cell campaign.

“It is a great honor to be nominated for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award,” McCourty said via CBS Boston. “I recognize the opportunity that I have to use my platform to help make an impact in the community. I appreciate being nominated for this award because of the man that Walter Payton was and the legacy that he has left behind. Walter Payton embodied the spirit of community engagement. I am humbled to represent his legacy with this nomination, but it is even more important to continue the work and try to make a difference.”

As a nominee, McCourty will now wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal for the remainder of the 2020 NFL season. The winner of the 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award will be announced during the NFL Honors ceremony, which will air live on CBS during the week of Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Florida.

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