Andrew Billings named 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago Bears defensive tackle Andrew Billings has been named the team's nominee for the 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
The award is considered one of the most prestigious awards in the league, and recognizes a player's off-the-field community service, philanthropy, and activities, as well as his playing excellence.
In 1999, the award was named after late Hall of Fame Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton.
In a video on the team's website, Billings said "it means a lot" to be nominated by the Bears for this year's award.
"My heart dropped when I had to give that speech, though. It's all good, everybody's giving me congratulation and stuff. That's nice," Billings said. "When I got drafted, seeing the guys that were in the locker room, what they did showed me that I can do something too, and I can take it to my community."
Since 2017, his Billings Family Find-A-Way Foundation, based in his hometown of Waco, Texas, has hosted youth football camps; provided grants for teachers to pay for classroom supplies; offered youth mentoring; and awarded free bikes, helmets, and bike safety books to students who missed less than two days of school.
"When I was in school, there was this little bike giveaway, and it was just always a big deal. Everybody wanted to know who was getting a bike, so it was just something I wanted to bring back," he said. "Every year, there's new kids coming in. You see the smiles on their faces. Parents are happy, and the school's happy, and the kids are going to school. There's nothing bigger than that."
All 32 teams nominate one player for the award each year, and this year's winner will be announced on Feb. 8, the day before Super Bowl LIX.
All 32 nominees receive up to a $55,000 donation to their charity of choice, and the winner gets a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice.
Fans also can show their support for their favorite Walter Payton nominee on social media by voting on the NFL's website or posting the hashtag #WPMOYChallenge and their favorite player's name or X (formerly Twitter) handle. The player with the most collective hashtag mentions and online votes will win a $35,000 donation to the charity of their choice, the second-place finisher will get a $10,000 donation, and the third-place finisher will get a $5,000 donation. The challenge runs through Jan. 6, 2025.
