{"id":20707,"date":"2018-12-08T10:15:34","date_gmt":"2018-12-08T15:15:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=20707"},"modified":"2018-12-08T10:15:34","modified_gmt":"2018-12-08T15:15:34","slug":"devin-mccourty-named-patriots-nominee-for-2018-walter-payton-man-of-the-year-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2018\/12\/08\/devin-mccourty-named-patriots-nominee-for-2018-walter-payton-man-of-the-year-award\/","title":{"rendered":"Devin McCourty Named Patriots Nominee For 2018 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Thursday, the New England Patriots<\/strong><\/a> formally announced safety Devin McCourty as the teams nominee for the 2018 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The award recognizes\u00a0an NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field, all 32 NFL teams selected a nominee<\/a> Thursday.<\/p>\n

McCourty earned the nomination for his yearly holiday initiatives<\/a>,\u00a0juvenile criminal justice reform<\/a> efforts, and his partnership with the Embrace Kids Foundation<\/a> to create the “Tackle Sickle Cell”<\/a> campaign which has provided support and awareness for families whose loved ones suffer from sickle-cell disease and helping raise money to research for a cure.<\/p>\n

McCourty\u00a0credits the upbringing from his mother as to why he gives back as much as he does.<\/p>\n

\u201cI give back because my mom instilled it in me. She showed me the way by having a good heart and giving back to people,\u201d said McCourty in a press release<\/a>. \u201cShe was a nurse and growing up I knew in life that I wanted to do something to give back to people. It\u2019s so much more gratifying when you can give to others and see the effect you have on them. Anyone can take a gift, but to take the time out and do something special for someone, it\u2019s a great honor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft also shared high praise for McCourty’s selection.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very excited to nominate Devin McCourty for the NFL\u2019s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award,\u201d said Kraft . \u201cHe has been a special part of our organization for nine seasons, not only for what he\u2019s been able to do on the field, but for the way he\u2019s been able to positively impact those in our communities. Devin is a natural leader and his genuine commitment to helping others is inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a nominee, McCourty will wear a special\u00a0Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year<\/em>\u00a0helmet decal through the end of the 2018 season in recognition of his accomplishments on and off the field.<\/p>\n

The 2018 winner will be announced on February 2nd 2019, the day before Super Bowl LIII at the “NFL Awards” show in Atlanta, GA.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/Patriots\/status\/1070705043148431360<\/p>\n

During his Thursday press conference, McCourty was presented with a plaque by Robert Kraft commemorating his nomination.<\/p>\n

\n

Robert Kraft presenting Devin McCourty with some hardware as the team\u2019s Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee for 2018. pic.twitter.com\/DKWFIeWYn8<\/a><\/p>\n

— Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) December 6, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n