From the moment Roquan Smith joined the Ravens in 2022, he has been a difference-maker who leads by example.
The All-Pro inside linebacker is the Ravens' 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. The award is considered the league's most prestigious honor and recognizes a current NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field as well as excellence on the field.
Each team nominates one player who has had a significant positive impact on his community, and this year's 32 deserving players were announced on Thursday. This is the second straight year that Smith has been the Ravens' representative.
"I'm extremely grateful to be in this position to be nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year," Smith said. "Playing in Chicago [with the Bears] and just knowing what that name means and the legacy that he brings, to even be associated with him speak volumes."
Smith enters Week 14 third in the NFL in tackles (121) and has surpassed 100 tackles in every season since entering the league with the Bears in 2018. He became a team leader the moment he was traded to Baltimore, and is the player most often asked to give an inspirational message to his teammates before games.
For as intense as Smith is on the football field, he's just as warm-hearted off it. Smith is omnipresent in the community, working tirelessly to help those in need. His endeavors off the field include:
- The Roquan Smith Foundation, launched in 2023, was established with the mission to strengthen families by providing programs and services focused on parenting, vocational training, behavioral health and financial literacy. This year, Smith also established a college scholarship fund for students graduating from Macon County High School in Montezuma, Ga.
- An advocate for youth sports, Smith annually hosts youth football camps in his Georgia hometown and across Maryland.
- In 2024, Smith increased his support of the House of Ruth Maryland and the families staying there who have been affected by domestic violence. Smith provided families currently staying in the women's shelter with brand-new mattresses, supplies, tickets and more, and he's currently planning a holiday gift distribution for families staying at the shelter during the holidays.
- To kick off the 2024-25 school year, Smith hosted a back-to-school event at Hamilton Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore City, offering the students free haircuts, school supplies, food, books and more.
"Growing up in a real small town, it was always about giving back and it takes a village to raise a kid," Smith said. "I've always lived by that, and I always told myself regardless of what I do in life, how much money I make or how little money I make, I always want to give back to those that are in lesser situations. Just being able to lend a helping hand, that smile I can bring to someone's face, that brings joy to me."
