New York Giants inside linebacker Bobby Okereke has been named the team’s nominee for the 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, presented by Nationwide, is the league’s most prestigious honor, recognizing players who excel on the field and demonstrate a commitment to creating a positive impact beyond the game.
“Since I’ve been a player in this league, I’ve always heard it’s one of the most prestigious awards because of the community service aspect,” Okereke said in a statement announcing his nomination.
“We’ve all heard the quote: ‘To whom much is given, much is expected.’ That’s how I’ve tried to live my life. That’s how my parents raised me. So, to be recognized for this award is a testament to them, a testament to all the hard work and my teammates supporting me, and how the Giants organization has uplifted me since I’ve been here.”
Okereke, as one of 32 nominees for the award that will be announced during the annual NFL Honors program on February 6, 2026, was named as the Giants’ nominee in part for his community philanthropic efforts, which have included his recent fundraising efforts in support of his Nigerian American Football Foundation, in which he hosted a special evening to raise funds and awareness at his New Jersey home earlier in the season.
Okereke, a first-generation American, has been a proud supporter of his Nigerian heritage, instilled in him by his parents.
“They embody that American dream, understanding that it doesn’t matter where you came from,” Okereke said of his parents.
“It doesn’t matter what your humble beginnings were or are. This is the land of opportunity, and in the United States, you can work hard and create a great life for yourself. It’s been amazing to see that come to fruition through my parents and through my siblings and my family.”
Okereke’s other community service included his commitment to visiting every single one of the 16 Boys and Girls Clubs of New Jersey.
“I was a Boy Scout growing up, so these youth development organizations are very near and dear to my heart,” said Okereke, who earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2013.
“Then the work I’ve done through my marketing agent, Theresa Reed, her husband Andre Reed, the Bills Hall of Famer, they’ve done a lot of great work with the Boys and Girls Club. Andre Reed was a Boys and Girls Club kid himself. The more I could do to support and immerse myself in this New Jersey community, I just felt called to do so.”
If chosen for the award, Okereke would become just the second Giants player to win it since it was first awarded in 1970 to Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas. Eli Manning was the first Giants player to win the award.
As the Giants’ nominee, Okereke will now wear a bronze silhouette of a football player in a sideline cape, identifying him as part of this prestigious group of honorees from the 2025 season.
The charitable beneficiary of each team’s club winner will receive up to $40,000, and the nonprofit chosen by the overall national winner will receive up to $250,000. All funds are donations courtesy of the NFL Foundation and the Nationwide Foundation.
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