Ravens nominate LG Bradley Bozeman for Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
The Ravens already have the reigning Walter Payton Man of the Year on their roster with four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell and starting offensive guard Bradley Bozeman could follow in his footsteps and be the next after the Ravens named him their 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year, presented by Nationwide.
The award recognizes an NFL player for his excellence both on and off the field. Every team nominates one player who has had a significant positive impact on his community.
Bozeman has been the Ravens steadiest offensive lineman over the past two year since winning the starting left guard spot in last year’s training camp. He played all 1,192 of the Ravens’ offensive snaps during the franchise’s record-breaking 2019 season in which they shattered the team rushing record (3,296 yards) and finished as the NFL’s top scoring offense as well.
Through the first 13 weeks of this season, the Ravens have the NFL’s No. 1 rushing attack with 169 yards per game and the third-year pro has been a huge part of that effort.
He has often been the pulling lineman that makes the key block to spring reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson and the running backs for big plays and touchdowns on the ground.
As great as Bozeman has been on the field as the team’s best interior lineman following the retirement of Hall of Famer Marshal Yanda this offseason, he’s been just as impactful if not even more off of it.
He and his wife, Nikki Bozeman, founded the Bradley & Nikki Bozeman Foundation in 2018. It focuses on educating at-risk children and their families on the dangers of childhood bullying. Their foundation also stresses the importance of respecting and standing up for those in vulnerable positions.
At the onset of the 2020 offseason, the Bozemans planned a cross-country anti-bullying campaign and hit the road on Feb. 10. However, due to COVID-19 pandemic, the couple only got to speak to a fraction of the 12,000 kids and 18 schools they intended on visiting and were forced to cut their trip short.
In the Baltimore community, Bozeman has been active battling food insecurity. The Bozemans have been participating in meal distribution at Mount Pleasant Ministries in Baltimore since early September. Every other week, they have assisted in the efforts to deliver 21,000 meals to over 300 families.
The couple also orchestrated a special Halloween distribution event that allowed children to dawn their costumes and “trick-or-treat” safely. They hosted a drive-thru food distribution of turkeys and traditional sides for Thanksgiving in the parking lot of M&T Bank Stadium for over 500 families.
While the winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award will receive a $250,000 donation to their charity of choice, but all other 31 nominees will receive up to a $50,000 donation to their charity of choice. All donations funds are courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.
Fans can participate in Nationwide’s 6th Annual Charity Challenge via a social media campaign designed to support and promote each team’s nominee.
Voting can be done on Twitter by using #WPMOYChallenge followed by their favorite nominee’s last name so if you are a fan of the Ravens and all the incredible work the Bozemans have been and continue to do tweet out #WPMOYChallengeBozeman.
The player whose unique hashtag is used the most between Dec. 10 and Jan. 17 will receive a $25,000 contribution to their charity of choice, courtesy of Nationwide.
For the first time, fans can win NFL Shop gift cards and additional money for their teams’ or their favorite nominee’s charity. Every Monday during the #WPMOYChallenge, Nationwide will ask fans to respond via Twitter with their favorite nominee, and a fan will be randomly selected to win a $100 NFL Shop gift card and $2,500 for their favorite nominee’s charity.
For additional information on the Bradley & Nikki Bozeman Foundation, visit: www.bradnikkibozeman.com
