Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year is Vikings Madieu Williams. Minnesota Vikings S Madieu Williams has been named the 2010 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.
The announcement was made during Sunday’s Super Bowl pre-game festivities.
William is currently in the Persian Gulf watching the game with U.S. service members.
“It is a tremendous honor to win this award named after Walter Payton, one of the greatest men ever to play in the National Football League,” Williams said, surrounded by troops in Iraq.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to accept the award, but it’s an even greater honor to be here in Iraq with Task Force Iron Horse on a goodwill tour watching the Super Bowl with our troops.”
The other finalists were the Raiders’ Nnamdi Asomugha and the Bears’ Israel Idonije. Williams will receive $20,000 toward his favorite charity.
A seven-year NFL veteran and Sierra Leone native, Williams has extended his helping hand to those near and far since moving to the United States.
“It is a tremendous honor that Madieu has been named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year,” said Vikings Head Coach Leslie Frazier. “It is quite an accomplishment and one that is well deserved. Madieu is a person that cares about people. He is not your prototypical pro athlete by any means. The fact that he is still taking trips and helping others that are less fortunate says a lot about Madieu. He has no other motivation other than to see someone else’s life become better that what it currently is. He is a rare person.”
