Cincinnati Bengals center Ted Karras was overwhelmed with gratitude sitting at his locker following practice on Dec. 4.
Karras was named the Bengals’ nominee for the prestigious Walter Payton Man of The Year Award for the second time in his career. He was Cincinnati’s nominee in 2023. Each team in the NFL nominates one player who has made a positive impact in their respective community.
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This award honors former Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton’s legacy of philanthropy, community service and excellence off the field.
“It’s really special,” Karras told reporters. “And the main thing I want to say is just gratitude towards the Cincinnati fan base and everyone around the country that’s bought it since he had and bought into the mission that we’re trying to do.”
The Walter Payton Man of The Year will be announced during Super Bowl week at the NFL Honors show.
When Karras returned to the Bengals’ facility following team walkthrough on Dec. 4, he was under the assumption he was about to do an interview with a national reporter ahead of Cincinnati’s upcoming game against the Buffalo Bills.
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To his surprise, his family was waiting for him to share the exciting news.
“My family surprised me,” Karras said. “Actually, everyone came here. I was actually not in the best mood. I came off kind of an intense walkthrough and thought I had to get interviewed by someone on a national stage. And went into the media room, and my whole family was there. So, it was a pretty emotional moment for a second there.”
Since arriving in Cincinnati in 2021, Karras has devoted a significant number of resources to improving the quality of life for adults with disabilities. Karras started a non-profit named The Cincy Hat Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing education and infrastructure to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in the Cincinnati area.
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Karras’ work in the community through The Cincy Hat became even more visible after his creation of the wildly popular hats his organization created in 2022. The idea for the hats originated with Karras hoping the money his nonprofit made from the hats could go directly to the Village of Merici, a living community and service provider based in his hometown of Indianapolis.
To date, over 100,000 Cincy Hats have been sold, generating over $3.3 million in revenue.
Bengals Ted Karras (64) enter the field before their game against the Bears at Paycor Stadium on Sunday November 2, 2025.
After seeing the amount of interest in The Cincy Hat, it motivated Karras to do even more. This past year, The Cincy Hat Foundation collaborated with over 150 businesses, nonprofits and schools.
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The Cincy Hat Foundation partnered with the University of Cincinnati’s Transition and Access Pathways (TAP) Program, a four-year college experience designed for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.Because of Karras and his support, two young women named Mariah and Jessica, are enrolled in the TAP program on full-ride scholarships. Karras released two special-edition hats titled “The Jessica” and “The Mariah,” with proceeds directly benefitting the TAP program.
“I’m really proud of the fact that the Village of Merici was able to double their footprint, of the people they serve … they have a second building,” Karras said. “I’m really proud of our two students at UC, Jessica and Mariah, who are thriving in the UC TAP program and IDD center, is something very special. And they’ve really grown up as young women, and to see that it brings a tear to my eye.”
Next on the list for The Cincy Hat is creating more opportunities for individuals with IDD to find housing. Building for the first development that The Cincy Hat is funding will begin in spring of 2026 near Madisonville, Ohio. Karras is helping get that project off the ground with a personal $500,000 donation to what will be known as “The Cincy Hat House.”
“I’m really looking forward to what we’re going to do next. We’re going to … build forever,” Karras said. “So, this community is underserved throughout the nation. There is a humongous need for apartments and living areas. So, there will never not be enough work to do. We’re going to go hard forever.”If Karras wins the Walter Payton Man of the Year, The Cincy Hat will receive up to a $250,000 donation. Karras being the Bengals’ nominee for this award ensures The Cincy Hat will receive at least a substantial donation of up to $40,000.
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Below are the links on where to vote for Karras to win the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award and how to donate to The Cincy Hat. Fans can vote for Karras by using the hashtag #WPMOYChallengeTedKarras on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Vote here: https://www.nfl.com/honors/man-of-the-year/ Donate here: https://thecincyhat.com/pages/givebutter-donate
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ted Karras full of gratitude as Bengals’ nominee for prestigious award