Linebacker Demario Davis has once again been selected as the team’s recipient for the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide. This marks the third time that Davis has been recognized with the team’s highest honor in his career.
The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award is the league’s most esteemed honor, celebrating a player who demonstrates a commitment to embodying a positive impact beyond the game throughout their career.
Since joining the Saints as an unrestricted free agent in 2018, Davis has become an indispensable leader. His on-field performance is marked by consistent dominance, serving as the team’s defensive signal-caller and a team captain for all eight seasons with the club. He has led the team in tackles every season and has earned multiple Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections, solidifying his place as one of the NFL’s most impactful linebackers.
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However, it is his profound commitment to service that truly embodies the spirit of Walter Payton.
Davis’s off-field efforts are largely channeled through the Devoted Dreamers Foundation, which he and his wife, Tamela, established in 2013. The foundation is dedicated to equipping the next generation of leaders with the tools to be successful spiritually, mentally, and physically.
“I am truly humbled to be the 2025 team winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year award,” said Davis. “Growing up in Mississippi, Walter Payton the football player was always someone I looked up to. As I got older, learning about the things he did in the community only increased my respect of him even more. Through my Devoted Dreamers Foundation, we are more committed than ever to develop youth to become dynamic young men and women who will lead this community into the future.”
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His foundation runs programs, such as the Devoted Dreamers Academy, focusing on essential life skills like financial literacy, reading comprehension, and character development for youth in the New Orleans area and his home state of Mississippi.
Saints Owner Gayle Benson praised Davis’s impact, stating,
“Ever since he joined the Saints in 2018, Demario’s commitment to both our football team and to our community has earned the respect of everyone inside and outside of the organization… However, the way he has positively affected our community, especially our youth, is the reason he is a three-time winner of this award. Demario is an outstanding ambassador for everything that the Saints and National Football League stand for.”
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As the Saints’ nominee, Davis now joins 31 other club winners who are eligible for the national 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, which will be announced at NFL Honors on Thursday, February 5. As a club winner, his charitable beneficiary will receive up to a $40,000 donation, courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide Foundation.
Demario Davis continues to set a powerful example, demonstrating that true leadership extends far beyond the goal lines and into the heart of the community.