Cardinals offensive lineman Kelvin Beachum isn’t new to nominations for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award. In fact, he was nominated for the third time in his 14-year career on Thursday.

But for all the recognition from his past teammates, Beachum said this time around was “really sweet,” as it marked a new point in his life where serving the community is far more than just handing out turkeys before Thanksgiving.

Although he did exactly that two weeks ago alongside Paris Johnson Jr. and the entire rookie class.

“(I’m) finding ways to serve and now finding ways to bring others along,” Beachum told Arizona Sports’ Burns &  Gambo on Thursday. “I think this time (being nominated for the award), it’s been special.”

The 2018, 2021 and now 2025 nominee was serenaded with kind words from team owner Michael Bidwill, but that warm feeling was anything but about 20 minutes earlier.

Beachum was treating his body in a cold tub at the Cardinals’ Tempe training facility when he was told by the head trainer he was needed outside. Even as a league veteran, Beachum said he expected “something bad had happened,” but the next thing he knew coach Jonathan Gannon was clearing the stage for Bidwill to make the announcement.

“The support from my teammates means everything,” Beachum said on X. “AZ, I’ll always do my best to make you proud. Honored to be the #WPMOY nominee.”

The support from my teammates means everything. AZ, I’ll always do my best to make you proud. Honored to be the #WPMOY nominee 🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/spilCd3bXU

— Kelvin Beachum Jr (@KelvinBeachumJr) December 4, 2025

Besides supplying Valley families with Thanksgiving essentials and raising funds for the United Food Bank through November, Beachum undertook a new challenge this year in the form of his first children’s book entitled, “Kelvin’s Big Adventure Map.”

The book, which was released in October and encourages life-long curiosity, first entered Beachum’s mind as a possibility in February and a partnership with Ello helped give it wings.

“It takes you on a journey of me going a couple of different places, serving in Lusaka, Zambia, going and watching a cricket game in Mumbai, India, going to an art fair in Hong Kong at Art Basel,” Beachum said. “So (the book) really goes along and talks about this story of willing to be curious and willing to push yourself and go outside of some of the boundaries that we can put on ourselves sometimes.”

All proceeds for the book go to DonorsChoose, a nonprofit for public teachers across the United States.

Beachum said his goal with the release was never to make money but to make an impact while “show(ing) a different facet of myself.”

“For me, it’s not doing book tours and book signings, (it’s) just like putting this in the hands of young kids all over the planet, where they have the opportunity to explore and use this book as a way in which to do so,” Beachum said.

Where does Cardinals’ Kelvin Beachum want to give back?

You can add author to his growing list of talents, but its the areas that Beachum can impact that give him the most satisfaction.

If he is able to attack domestic food insecurity and global water scarcity or support an initiative that involves bettering science, engineering, arts and math in the education system, consider Beachum in.

“If it sits in those two verticals, I’m willing to do it and I’m willing to entertain it,” Beachum said. “And then what I look at is what is the impact that it can make and how sustainable can it be?

“I look at the work I’ve done here in Arizona since I’ve been here 1.5 million meals (have been provided). I can measure that.”

Each of the 32 NFL nominees get a $40,000 donation from the NFL Foundation and Nationwide Foundation to a charity of their choice.

Should the offensive lineman win the award, which is revealed at NFL Honors on Feb. 5 prior to Super Bowl LX, he would join Kurt Warner (2008) and Larry Fitzgerald (2016) as the only Cardinals to claim the distinction since it was first awarded in 1970.