
Every NFL player wants to win the league's myriad awards for on-field excellence—MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, and so on.
However, winning the league's Walter Payton Man of the Year award conveys a special brand of immortality. The award—which "recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field"—has been given out since before its future namesake, Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, debuted in the NFL. That the award was renamed for Payton in 1999 only increased its stature.