Los Angeles Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth captured the Walter Payton Man of the Year award at the NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday night. In his acceptance speech, Whitworth proved why he was so deserving and used an interaction with Lions rookie LB Derrick Barnes to illustrate why.
Whitworth spent his first 11 seasons playing for the Cincinnati Bengals. Among his many charitable feats, Whitworth used to spend time mentoring young men at a Boys and Girls Club in Cincinnati. One of those kids he impacted was Barnes, who grew up in the area.
Barnes had recounted this story earlier in the year after the Lions played the Rams. Whitworth gave it a much bigger audience on Thursday night.