The Ravens have the reigning Walter Payton Man of the Year on their roster with Calais Campbell and a rich tradition of having strong candidates for the award.
Bradley Bozeman follows in that lineage as the Ravens' 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year, presented by Nationwide.
The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field. Each team nominates one player who has had a significant positive impact on his community.
On the field, Bozeman has emerged as a very solid offensive lineman, and he played every one of the Ravens' 1,192 offensive snaps during the team's record-breaking 2019 season in which they set the team rushing record (3,296 yards) and produced the NFL's top scoring offense. This year, the Ravens currently have the NFL's No. 1 rushing attack (169.0 yards per game).
As good as Bozeman has been on the field, he's been equally effective off it.
Founded in 2018 with wife, Nikki Bozeman, the Bradley & Nikki Bozeman Foundation works with at-risk children and their families to educate them on the dangers of childhood bullying. Their foundation also reinforces the importance of respect and standing up for others in vulnerable positions.
At the beginning of 2020, the Bozemans organized a cross-country anti-bullying campaign. On February 10, 2020, the couple embarked on a RV trip – from Maryland to California – with the intent to travel for six weeks, drive over 5,000 miles, and address more than 12,000 kids in 18 schools with stops in 16 states along the way. While the Bozemans did speak to several thousand students in the early part of their trip, it unfortunately was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bozeman has also been active in combatting food insecurity in the Baltimore community. Beginning in September, the Bozemans started a meal distribution at Mount Pleasant Ministries in Baltimore. Every other week, their efforts deliver 21,000 meals to over 300 families. Additionally, they created a special Halloween distribution that allowed children to dress up in costumes and safely "trick-or-treat." For Thanksgiving, they hosted a drive-thru food distribution of turkeys and traditional sides in the parking lot of M&T Bank Stadium for over 500 families.
The winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award will receive a $250,000 donation to their charity of choice. All other 31 nominees also receive up to $50,000 donated to their charity of choice. All donations are courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Nationwide's 6th Annual Charity Challenge, a social media campaign designed to support and promote team nominees. Fans can vote on Twitter by using #WPMOYChallenge followed by their favorite nominee's last name (#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.
New this year, fans can win NFL Shop gift cards and additional money for their favorite nominee's charity. Each Monday during the #WPMOYChallenge, Nationwide will ask fans to respond on Twitter with their favorite nominee, and one randomly selected fan will win a $100 NFL Shop gift card and $2,500 for their favorite nominee's charity.
For more information on the Bradley & Nikki Bozeman Foundation, please visit: www.bradnikkibozeman.com
