LB Curtis Robinson Named San Francisco 49ers’ Nominee for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award Presented by Nationwide
Winner Announced at NFL Honors on Thursday, Feb. 6
[SANTA CLARA, Calif.] – Dec. 5, 2024 – The San Francisco 49ers announced that linebacker Curtis Robinson has been selected as the team’s nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide. The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award is the league’s most prestigious honor, recognizing players who excel on the field and demonstrate a steadfast commitment to creating a positive impact beyond the game.
Robinson’s commitment to serving communities around the Bay Area has been recognized throughout his tenure as a 49er but is especially notable this year. Just four days after a devastating season-ending knee injury, Robinson was at a local children’s hospital uplifting patients’ spirits and two weeks after surgery, he was reading to local elementary school students.
Always the first to sign up for a 49ers Community Tuesday, he currently leads overall player volunteerism hours for the second-consecutive season. Whether it’s emphasizing education, coaching young athletes, animal therapy with the Humane Society or encouraging cancer survivors during Crucial Catch, Robinson has continued to build on his community impact this year.
While Robinson’s platform is dedicated to raising awareness for all cause areas, education is a consistent theme in his community efforts. Inspired by his mother’s career as a college professor, Robinson understands the importance of equal access to quality education, no matter your socioeconomic background. He stressed the importance of furthering education to nearly 100 high school female student-athletes during an empowerment conference, shopped with and outfitted 14 teachers from Oakland with new clothes for the school year, and mentored nearly 50 youth from social justice organizations.
Robinson is also an advocate for the 49ers Foundation’s mission to empower and educate youth, regularly attending their daily programming. Robinson’s support extends to educators, personally donating money to cover school supplies for African American Female Excellence and Urban Ed Academy teachers, programs that ensure every school has a Black teacher, so students see themselves reflected in their leaders.
“My parents instilled in me to be involved, give back to the community,” said Robinson. “I witnessed the sacrifices they made to ensure I had access to resources I needed to pursue my dreams. As a kid, I thought that’s what was normal. They set the standard for me to use my platform to pay it forward and bridge the gap for others.”
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. All donations are made possible by the NFL Foundation and Nationwide Foundation.
All 32 nominees will be recognized for their achievements during the week leading up to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. The winner of the 2024 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award will be announced during NFL Honors, a primetime awards special to air nationally on FOX and the NFL Network on Thursday, Feb. 6.
Fans are once again encouraged to participate in Nationwide’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.
For more information about the award, please visit NFL.com/ManOfTheYear.