The Green Bay Packers announced today that linebacker De'Vondre Campbell has been named the team's nominee for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. The award is the league's most prestigious honor and acknowledges NFL players that excel on the field and demonstrate a passion for creating a lasting positive impact beyond the game in their communities.
"We are honored to nominate De'Vondre for this prestigious award," said Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy. "He does so much work with his foundation, the De'Vondre Campbell Family Youth Foundation, to help families in need through football camps, donations and their Adopt A Family program. We are proud to highlight his dedication to the community and his excellence both on and off the field."
Campbell has demonstrated his character both on and off the field throughout his career, particularly through his work with his foundation, the De'Vondre Campbell Family Youth Foundation. Founded in 2019, the foundation's mission is to empower at-risk youth and families in need through resource distribution, scholarship, educational advancement and mentorship-based programming. It organizes community-centered events that directly provide relief, impact and create change for those in need.
Campbell and his foundation have taken their efforts to new heights in recent years. In addition to his annual football camp in his home community in Florida, he has demonstrated his passion for education with programs that focus on helping students and teachers gain access to resources and much needed school supplies. He provided $10,000 in teacher supply kits, paper, writing utensils and classroom supplies to a local elementary school in Green Bay, along with 200 backpacks and supply kits for families in need. The foundation has also worked to address food insecurity by teaming up with local grocery stores to distribute hundreds of turkeys over the years to those in need for Thanksgiving. Campbell and his wife, Nicole, also have helped lead several distribution and volunteer sessions at Paul's Pantry, a local Green Bay food pantry, to provide those in need with Campbell's Chunky Soup. This fall, the pair also volunteered at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, packing holiday food boxes with volunteers.
Additionally, Campbell's annual Adopt a Family Program seeks out families in need to aid around the holidays. Last year, the program donated a sum of $50,000 in gifts, fulfilling every item on the Christmas wish lists of 25 families in need in both the Green Bay and Minnesota area. He also went door-to-door delivering many of the gifts, from new appliances to toys to a new car. After being connected to one of the families through the Adopt a Family program, Campbell's foundation also helped provide and gift a wedding to one of the families, providing over $30,000 in donations and in-kind support. This year, Adopt a Family is aiming to reach 35 families in need during the holidays.
As a nominee, Campbell will wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of the season in recognition of his accomplishments on and off the field.
All 32 nominees will be recognized for their achievements during the week leading up to Super Bowl LVIII. The 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year winner will be announced during NFL Honors, a primetime awards special to air nationally on CBS on Thursday, Feb. 8.
This year, fans are once again encouraged to participate in the annual Charity Challenge, a social media and online contest that allows fans to show support for their favorite Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee. Fans can vote on X (formerly Twitter) by posting #WPMOYChallenge along with the last name/X handle of their chosen nominee or by voting directly on NFL.com/ManOfTheYear. In cases where multiple nominees share the same last name (i.e. Justin Jones and Jonathan Jones), all valid votes on X must include the #WPMOYChallenge hashtag and the nominee's handle or full name. The nominee who receives the most collective hashtag mentions and votes will win an additional $35,000 donation from Nationwide to the charity of their choice, with the runner-up receiving $10,000 and the third-place winner receiving $5,000. Charity Challenge voting takes place from Dec. 5 to Jan. 8.
Each nominee will receive up to a $55,000 donation, and the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award winner will receive a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice. All donations are made possible by the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.
For more information on the nominees and the award, please visit NFL.com/ManOfTheYear.
