The Jets have announced Jonotthan Harrison as their nominee for the WALTER PAYTON NFL MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD. Considered one of the league's most prestigious honors, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field. Each of the league's 32 nominees were announced Thursday.
Harrison has continuously shown his commitment to the nation's bullying crisis through his willingness to reflect on his own experiences of being bullied and raising awareness about this issue through social media and speaking engagements. As a result, Harrison has helped bring the conversation about bullying to the forefront and encourage youth to become educated on the signs of bullying and what they can do to help prevent it from happening to their peers. Harrison's passion for this campaign led him to become a Global Ambassador for Stomp Out Bullying, the leading national nonprofit dedicated to changing the culture for all students. Through this partnership, he has been able to reach those who need to hear his story the most by regularly speaking with kids at schools.
"I am humbled to be amongst this contingent of selfless honorees," said Harrison. "The opportunity to represent the Jets organization, my family and my community means so much to me. Growing up, I was an easy target for bullies. The daily harassment I endured helped shape me to become who I am today."
"Jonotthan's strength and vulnerability to speak out about his personal struggles growing up, has brought awareness to our community and young students who are experiencing similar hardships," said New York Jets President Hymie Elhai. "We are extremely honored to have Jonotthan as a part of our organization and proud of him as he continues to serve as a role model through our STOMP Out Bullying program."
As a nominee, Harrison will wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of the season in recognition of his accomplishments on and off the field. In addition, Harrison will receive a donation of $40,000 in his name to the charity of choice. Harrison has chosen to support STOMP Out Bullying. The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award will receive a $250,000 donation to the charity of their choice.
For the second year in a row, all 32 team winners will be highlighted as nominees and recognized for their important work during the weekend leading up to Super Bowl LIV. The 2019 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year will be announced during NFL Honors, a two-hour primetime awards special to air nationally on Feb. 1, the eve of Super Bowl LIV, on FOX. NFL Honors will be at the Adrienne Arsht Center in downtown Miami.
Fans are encouraged to participate in the 5th 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. The player whose unique hashtag is used the most between Dec. 12 and Jan. 12 will receive a $25,000 contribution to their charity of choice, while the second and third place finishers will receive $10,000 and $5,000 donations. Hashtag information and official rules can be found at nfl.com/manoftheyear.
