Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans will one day be in the team’s Ring of Honor and, very likely, in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
His legacy on the field is cemented as one of the best to ever do it. But Evans has never wanted his name to be tied only to the things he does in a Buccaneers’ uniform.
One of the things that has made Evans a favorite on the team and in Tampa Bay is his efforts off the field, where his impact is felt through the efforts of him and his wife Ashli through the Mike Evans Family Foundation. Because of those efforts, Evans is this year’s Bucs nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
“To be nominated for this award amongst the best our league has to offer is an incredible honor,” Evans said in a release. “There is so much more to being a professional athlete than what you do on the field, and I am humbled to be nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year. I am so grateful to have this platform that allows me to positively impact those in need and to continue the important work we are doing through our foundation.”
It’s the fourth time Evans has been nominated for the award, considered the NFL’s most prestigious honor.
Already this year his foundation has awarded a record $170,000 in scholarship money dispersed amongst 15 graduating high school seniors. In total, since 2021, the Mike Evans Family Foundation has issued more than half a million dollars in scholarships to deserving students.
The foundation also has other functions that tie donations to every yard and every touchdown Evans scores on the field, ensuring his on-field efforts only feed into those off the field. This holiday season, in fact, the foundation is going to host its “Catch for Christmas” event, a holiday effort that raises money for victims of domestic violence, provides gifts for local children, and helps fund college scholarships for students.
Every team nominates a member of its organization for the award and all 32 nominees will be recognized during the week leading up to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Louisiana. The winner of the 2024 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award will be announced during NFL Honors on February 6th.
