Why Bobby Wagner is Seahawks’ nominee for NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
He bought shoppers’ Thanksgiving groceries for more than a half hour at a Seattle Safeway.
He’s partnered with the city’s Low Income Housing Institute’s project to house the homeless.
He’s led “Walk with Wagner” events to raise stroke awareness across Western Washington.
He began an under-the-radar effort he calls “BWagz Sees You.” Two days before he agreed to his new Seahawks contract worth $54 million, the highest for a middle linebacker in NFL history, this summer he visited all nine of the Low Income Housing Institute’s tiny house homeless villages/encampment sites around Seattle. Wagner delivered food, equipment, hygiene products and other supplies to hundreds of homeless families at indoor shelters.
He’s also purchased nine tiny houses to expand LIHI’s villages. He has plans to buy at least that many more.
That is only part of why Bobby Wagner is the Seahawks’ 2019 nominee for the NFL’s prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
The league announced Wagner’s nomination Thursday morning. The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award recognizes excellence and impact in community service off the field as well as brilliance on it.
The perennial All-Pro absolutely checks both boxes.
Wagner will wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of this season to recognize his nomination.
Wagner’s impact is in communities far beyond Western Washington.
Wagner also has partnered with Generosity Feeds and MOD Pizza to pack meals for 10,000 children in his hometown of Ontario, California, east of Los Angeles. Last year when he was back in Florida at another Pro Bowl, he hosted a bowling event for 54 Orlando-area children. He speaks at youth and coaching organizations. One is the Man Up Conference and Coaching Boys into Men. He’s talked to that group about overcoming adversity and becoming an NFL player.
“This means a lot,” Wagner said about the honor through the Seahawks’ team website. “I’ve been fortunate to see so many guys around me inspire me to do amazing things off the field and do more than just play. I’m thankful to be in the position to make a small difference in our community.”
Wagner said he was ingrained with the goal to help others in need while seeing classmates at Colony High School in his hometown struggle to buy food and clothes. Three contracts into his wildly successful NFL career, he’s been giving back.
Low-key, giving back.
He says his Seahawks teammates tell him he should promote his philanthropy.
At least more than he does, which is next to nothing.
He’s response? Nah.
“What I do, it’s genuine. It’s from the heart,” he said. “I don’t really care if people see that I do it, or notice that I do it, or even recognize that it was me doing it. I just do it because I feel like there are a lot of people out there that need a hand, and, you know, I try to lend a hand.
“I just want to help the people that I feel I can help. And if there’s an opportunity that I can help, I do it.”
This story was originally published December 12, 2019 at 7:32 AM.
