Joel Bitonio chosen Browns’ Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year honoree
The Browns announced Tuesday morning that All-Pro left guard Joel Bitonio will be their honoree for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year.
Each of the league’s 32 teams honor one player on their team for both their work on and off the field. One player being recognized as the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, which has been handed out annually since 1970 and named for the late Chicago Bears Hall of Famer in 1999, during the NFL Honors award show on the Thursday prior to Super Bowl LVII.
Bitonio will be recognized prior to the Browns’ Dec. 17 home game against the Baltimore Ravens. He will also wear Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of the season in recognition of the honor.
“The honor of being the Walter Payton Man of the Year for the Cleveland Browns is pretty surreal,” Bitonio said in a statement. “You see guys like (former Browns tackle) Joe Thomas who have won the award before and you see across the NFL guys like (former Saints quarterback) Drew Brees, (Cardinals defensive end) J.J. Watt and people who did things on very grand scales and have been great role models for their team and their community. To be named the Man of the Year for me is pretty special.
“I have been part of the Cleveland community for nine years now. [Giving back] is just something that my mom and my dad instilled in me to take care of the people that take care of you. This community has always taken care of me. No matter where you are in life, you can lend a helping hand, be part of the community and give back, and a lot of times, you give back to help somebody, but those interactions fill you up, as well.
“I look back on my upbringing and the coaches and the people who have been part of my life growing up, and I think it is just a cumulative, ‘Thank you.’ I appreciate it, and let’s see what else we can do to help the community.”
Bitonio will receive up to a $40,000 donation in their name to their charity of choice. The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award will receive up to a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.
A second-round pick (No. 35 overall) in the 2014 draft, Bitonio is the longest-tenured Browns player on the roster. He has been an Associated Press All-Pro selection the last four seasons, including a first-team selection last season, and has been chosen to four consecutive Pro Bowls.
“While the entire NFL and Browns fans have watched Joel excel on the field for the past nine seasons, we have been extremely fortunate to see first-hand his contributions to our team and Northeast Ohio as an incredibly high-character man, teammate and leader,” Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement. “The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is truly special because it recognizes a player’s passion and dedication to the game and community service, and Joel consistently embodies what this honor represents in every way.”