DENVER (KDVR) — A Denver Broncos linebacker has been nominated for the NFL’s most prestigious honor — the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.
Every year, all 32 NFL teams select one player as their nominee for the award. That player will be recognized during the week leading up to Super Bowl LIX. This season, the Broncos have chosen linebacker Alex Singleton as their nominee.
The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award recognizes a player for his “outstanding leadership both on the field and in the community.”
According to the Broncos, Singleton has been heavily involved with the Special Olympics since he was a kid. The team said Singleton’s older sister, Ashley, has been a Special Olympics athlete for more than 20 years, which inspired him to become an advocate for the organization and support thousands of other athletes.
During his time with the Special Olympics, Singleton has served as a local and national ambassador supporting children and adults with intellectual disabilities in a variety of Olympic-style sports.
The Denver Broncos highlighted key moments during Singleton’s outreach:
- Volunteered at Special Olympics Winter Games (Yukon, Canada)
- Raised money through his Tackling Inclusion initiative
- Co-hosted virtual workouts with his sister during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Polar plunged to raise money for Special Olympics Colorado
Aside from being a leader in his community, the Broncos also praised Singleton for his career on the field.
The linebacker is a six-year veteran who has appeared in 79 regular-season games with Philadelphia and Denver.
“Since joining the club in 2022, Singleton has appeared in 37 games (31 starts), and has recorded 371 tackles (224 solo), 2.0 sacks, eight passes defensed, one interception (21 yds.) and one forced fumble. He was named a captain in 2024 and was the team’s leading tackler until tearing his ACL in Denver’s Week 3 contest at Tampa Bay. Singleton played all 57 defensive snaps in the game despite the injury,” said the Denver Broncos in a press release.
As the latest nominee, Singleton joins a long legacy. Previous Broncos nominees for the acclaimed award include Garett Bolles, Dalton Risner, Justin Simmons, Von Miller, Chris Harris Jr. and John Elway — the only Broncos player to win the national award.
With the nomination, the Broncos said Singleton will wear a helmet decal through the end of the season to recognize his accomplishments. Singleton will also receive up to a $55,000 donation to the charity of his choice.
The national winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award will be announced during the NFL Honors on Feb. 6 on FOX.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
