Byron “Whizzer” White was truly a man of exceptional talents and skills, an individual who gave his all to his country, his community, and to his team. White was a supreme court justice, naval officer, humanitarian, and a professional football player in the NFL. The NFL Man of the Year award is named after him in his honor, recognizing the individual who does work as a humanitarian and stands out above the rest. The award has been given out every year since its creation in 1967. The five finalists for the award this year are all well deserving candidates, Johnny Hekker (Los Angeles Rams), Malcolm Jenkins (Philadelphia Eagles), Rashad Jennings (New York Giants), Clinton McDonald (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks). In the spirit of humanitarianism, the winner of the award will receive $100,000 for the charity or foundation of their choice.
Johnny Hekker
A Pro-bowl punter for the Los Angeles Rams Hekker has left his impact in numerous organizations. Most notably during the past off-season, Hekker gave his time to help those with special needs as well as being the Rams own representative for Waterboys. Waterboys is an organization that aims is to provide clean water for less developed countries worldwide.
Malcolm Jenkins
A true humanitarian, Jenkins is nominated as a finalist for this award for the second time in the past three years. Jenkins back in 2010 established the Malcolm Jenkins Foundation, which works to provide scholarships to students while working with educational programs. As well Jenkins does plenty of outreach in his community to help provide food for low-income families.
Rashad Jennings
A back-to-back finalist, Jennings has been an influential presence in his community and communities around the country. The Rashad Jennings foundation’s aim is to make reading an enjoyable process for children while encouraging education and proper physical and mental health. The Jennings foundation works with over 30,000 students throughout the country.
Clinton McDonald
An MVP year for McDonald in terms of humanitarianism work. The defensive lineman for the Buccaneers foundation, McDonald Association Collective Collaboration-Light Into Darkness foundation had a big year including feeding well over 2,000 people for Thanksgiving. In addition, his foundation did outreach to reinforce STEM at local school districts. Apart from his foundation, McDonald was named the week 8 NFPLA MVP for his work in the community all while being voted by a union player representative for his team.
Russell Wilson
Well known for his charitable work whether it is visiting sick children in hospitals or giving back to the community, Wilson has a long-standing legacy of charitable work. Wilson frequently made generous donations to the Seattle Children’s Hospital and raising awareness about domestic violence. His foundation, Why Not You has also made great strides in recent times.
Winner: Malcolm Jenkins
The final decision on the winner will be made by a panel of individuals including former NFL Players, charity sponsors, and executives. The winner of the award will be announced 3:30 P.M. CST AT THE NFL’S Super Bowl conference taking place February 2nd.
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