Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson named 2020 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year

Add one of the NFL’s most prestigious individual accolades to Russell Wilson’s trophy case.

The Seattle Seahawks quarterback was named the 2020 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year at the league’s awards show Saturday night. The honor, established in 1970 and renamed after Hall-of-Fame running back Walter Payton in 1999, is given annually to one player who demonstrates excellence in the community and on the field.

Wilson will receive a $250,000 donation for the charity of his choice by winning the award.

"I got out here and my whole thought process on my heart was, I want to make a difference," Wilson told the team’s website. "One, I want to start, I want to play, I want to have a long career and win multiple Super Bowls and hopefully go to the Hall of Fame, do all that stuff — that was my thought process my rookie year before I even hopped on the plane here. The other part was I really wanted to make an impact on the city, and I really wanted to be able to make a difference in the community.

"The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, to me, represents excellence, not just on the field, but more importantly off the field," Wilson continued. "In life, we're granted the opportunity to have an impact, no matter what sphere of influence we're around. Walter Payton was one of the greatest examples of what he was able to do not just on the field, but more important off the field to give back and to serve and to love and to care. For me, to be able to be even mentioned with a name like Walter Payton is one of the greatest blessings I could ever have and one of the greatest honors you could ever have."

Wilson, 32, has long been known for his philanthropic and charitable efforts, which continued in the past year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Wilson and his wife, music icon Ciara, last spring personally donated 1 million meals to Feeding America’s Food Lifeline and donated 70 million more through the Why Not You Foundation, his non-profit organization.

Last October, the Wilsons announced that they’ll be opening the first-ever Why Not You Academy, a tuition-free public charter school set to open in the fall of this year.

And since he arrived in Seattle in 2012, Wilson has made it a routine on Tuesdays during the NFL season to visit patients at Seattle Children’s Hospital. He’s visited over 600 patients and their families the last nine years.

The Why Not You Foundation, which Wilson founded in 2014, is focused on fighting poverty through education and youth empowerment. Through the foundation and its partners, over $9 million has been raised for pediatric cancer research.

A seven-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, Wilson joins Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Steve Largent (1988) as the only players in franchise history to win the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.

In accepting the award Saturday night, Wilson paid tribute to his late father, who passed away in 2010.

"My dad's probably smiling ear-to-ear, because (Walter Payton) was probably one of my dad's favorite athletes of all time, and he always talked about what he did off the field and who he was as a person," Wilson told Seahawks.com. "… I know my dad's smiling down on me, and I know Walter's up there too, they're probably hanging out, maybe even smoking a cigar, who knows? What a blessing it is.

"If I can serve others, I think that's my responsibility,” Wilson continued. "It's my responsibility as a quarterback to serve to help my teammates, but more importantly, it's an opportunity and gift to be able to give back to others around the country, around the world, and I think that's why God has me right where I am, and I'm grateful for it every day."