The Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner is the 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. Wagner was announced as the winner on Thursday night at the NFL Honors ceremony, where he accepted the award and honored his late mother.
Wagner, 35, has played 14 NFL seasons, including 11 with the Seattle Seahawks, one season with the Los Angeles Rams and the last two years with the Commanders. While Wagner is known for his outstanding play on the field and will be a first-ballot of Famer in the future, it’s his work off the field that he’s most proud of.
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Wagner has been an active member of the community in each city where he has played. Wagner lost his mother, Phenia, due to the complications of a stroke when he was a freshman at Utah State in 2009. Last year, he partnered with Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., to launch the Phenia May Fund for stroke awareness and patient support. Wagner previously partnered with Cedars-Sinai, Kaiser Permanente, and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health for the Phenia May Fund.
“Everywhere I’ve played, I’ve tried to honor my mom and honor her name,” Wagner said last summer. “This is a place that’s embraced me and become a special place to me, so I’m excited to extend that into D.C.”
You can donate to the Phenia May Fund here.
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Nationwide Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Ann Bair released the following statement regarding Wagner winning the award, which is presented by Nationwide.
“Nationwide is honored to congratulate Bobby Wagner and celebrate his dedication to improving the lives of others,” Bair said. “As a company that prides itself on being so much more than a business, Nationwide is proud to help showcase the transformative work Bobby and all of the club winners are doing in service to causes and communities around the league.”
Congratulations to Bobby Wagner on the well-deserved honor.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Bobby Wagner is Walter Payton NFL Man of Year