NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons has been named the Tennessee Titans Club winner for the 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
The award is the NFL’s most prestigious honor. It recognizes “players who excel on the field and demonstrate a commitment to making a positive impact beyond the game.”
Simmons is the first Titans player since Kevin Carter (2002-05) to be nominated for the award for three consecutive years.
“It’s always an honor to be able to represent Tennesssee, and for the third year in a row,” Simmons told WSMV4 Thursday afternoon. “It means a lot to me, it means a lot to my family, you know, the work that — you don’t do the work for the awards and things of that nature, but it’s a blessing to be able to be in the position to be able to continue to be a light in my community. I wanted to have an impact. I want to leave an impact each time I step into the community. You have a platform, we have a platform, and we have to continue to use it.”
Simmons, who was drafted by the Titans in 2019, founded the “Give Em a Reason Foundation.” His foundation “aims to inspire youth empowerment through sport, by way of self-esteem building and opportunity creation as part of his commitment to helping the community.”
“The night we drafted Jeffery, he committed to making an impact on the Titans organization on and off the field,” Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said. “We could not ask for a more dedicated and passionate player, which is why we are thrilled to announce Jeffery Simmons as our Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee for the third consecutive season.”
“Jeffery has displayed tremendous leadership as a five-time team captain and continues to be a cornerstone of this team,” Adams Strunk added. “As impressive as he is on the field, it is his unwavering commitment to positively impacting youth in both Nashville and his hometown that earns him this honor. We are grateful for all he has done for the Titans and our community.”
Through his work with the foundation, Simmons has partnered with numerous nonprofits and community engagement programs in Nashville and his hometown of Macon, Mississippi.
Additionally, Simmons hosts an annual Thanksgiving turkey drive, Christmas shopping spree, youth football camp and community day in his hometown.
“A lot of guys on this team do a lot of work out in the community and for me to be nominated three years in a row, that means so much to me and is truly an honor,” Simmons said. “This award is the biggest award in the NFL, and it just shows no matter what’s happening on the field, our community needs us, and that’s what I see when I see the award. I see the Nashville community. I see the Mississippi community. It’s not just for me; it’s for everyone that I try to impact each and every day through the game of football. Everything I do, I do it from the heart. I enjoy doing what I do, and I look forward to continuing my work with the youth in the community.”
The Titans said each 2025 club winner supports various causes off the field to better their communities, and the charitable beneficiaries of each team’s club winner will receive $40,000.
The nonprofit chosen by the overall winner of the award will receive $250,000, courtesy of the NFL Foundation and the Nationwide Foundation.
The 2025 national winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award will be announced at NFL Honors on Thursday, Feb. 5, before Super Bowl LX.
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