Seahawks LB Uchenna Nwosu Nominated For 2024 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award

Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu is the Seahawks' nominee for the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award for the second time in his career.

Dec 05, 2024 at 06:00 AM

Ari Horton

Seahawks.com Writer

For the second time in his career, Uchenna Nwosu has been nominated for the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, which recognizes one NFL player each year for his excellence on and off the field. Nwosu, since he came into the league, has been passionate about being present in his community and giving back. His first Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nomination came in just his second year in the league, during his time with the L.A. Chargers. And to be recognized a second time, but for a completely different team.

"It means a lot to be recognized for the stuff that you do and how you give back," Nwosu said. "It feels good being able to make an impact to different communities around the world and seeing the positive things work, putting smiles on people's faces. So to be recognized for my efforts is always a blessing."

And yes, Nwosu did say "around the world" because that's how far his impact has been able to reach. During his off time, Nwosu traveled back to his dad's village in Nigeria, Umuahia Abia State, to help rebuild roads that eroded and restored electricity in the village that had been without it for an extended period of time.

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Nwosu said giving back is, "just something my parents instilled in me when I was young. Having three sisters and always helping them and giving back to them, that's always just been who I am. I've always been a helping person, anytime I see someone in need, it's in my nature."

Sometimes though, giving back is not traveling across the globe, it's as simple for Nwosu as just giving back to the youth in one way or another or following what his heart is telling him the right thing to do."

"It might be youth," he said. "That's really what I focus on, the next generation, other times it might be coat drives, turkey giveaways, helping out Boy & Girls Clubs, doing things back in Nigeria. I help out wherever I feel like my heart is and what I feel needs to be done, that's what I'll go after."

But one act of service that Nwosu is most proud of was giving back his high school alma mater.

"My proudest moment was probably, what I did for my high school alma mater, (Narbonne High School in Los Angeles),when I was able to donate a salary for a permanent athletic trainer and build a training facility for the students, athletes to have before games and after games. That was probably my proudest moment, being able to give back to my high school, just knowing how much they needed it."

And Nwosu, along with his organization, the Uchenna Nwosu Foundation which was established in 2023, will keep helping out wherever, as long as he's able.

"Football's given me so much in my life that I'm forever grateful for, so why not use the gifts I've been given to give back. As long as I'm able to, that's what I'm going to keep doing. Even after I retire, I've been building up the [Uchenna Nwosu Foundation], my portfolio and my resources to be able to expand."

An inspiration.@UchennaN_42 | #WPMOYChallenge pic.twitter.com/71OAP7mudP
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 5, 2024

The 2024 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year will be announced during NFL Honors on Thursday, Feb. 6, before the Super Bowl. Each nominee will receive up to $55,000 and the award winner will receive up to a $265,000 donation to their charity of choice.

Fans can help Nwosu raise more through the league's annual Charity Challenge, a social media and online contest that allows fans to show support for their favorite Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee. Fans can vote on X/Twitter by posting #WPMOYChallenge along with the last name/X handle of their chosen nominee or by voting directly on NFL.com/ManOfTheYear. The nominee who receives the most collective hashtag mentions and online votes will win an additional $35,000 donation from Nationwide to the charity of their choice, with the runner-up receiving $10,000 and the third-place winner receiving $5,000. Charity Challenge voting takes place from Thursday, Dec. 5 to Sunday, Jan. 6.

Here are some of Nwosu's recent community initiatives:

In 2023, he established the Uchenna Nwosu Foundation to serve others through its mission to promote education, health and wellness to sports-minded Individuals, while planting seeds of productive expectancy in our youth. His vision began with targeting disadvantaged and at-risk youth and has since grown to support youth from all backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses. To date, his programs and events reach hundreds of youth & young adults ages 8-17 each year.

Earlier this year in his native California, he attended the ribbon cutting celebration for the Carson Library, where he invested in the $2.3 million renovation of the library to provide new flooring, furniture, seating, study rooms and more. His donation also helped fund a 'My Brother's Keeper' advocate position at the library, which brings young people of color into libraries as advisors and liaisons in the high-need communities in which they serve.

He has also invested in three multi-family property homes in California to ensure affordable housing for the community, as well as committed a seven-figure donation over three years to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's "Summer Night Lights" program, aimed at gang reduction.

In the Seattle region, he frequently participates in team community engagement initiatives as well as his own, including a winter coat drive for foster care nonprofit, Treehouse, creating a reading corner at a Boys & Girls Club, and participating in local Toys for Tots holiday toy drives, among many others.