Former Cincinnati Bengal, Andrew Whitworth received the prestigious 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year award. NFL description of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award:Considered the league's most prestigious honor, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide recognizes NFL players who have exhibited excellence on the field, and whose passion to impact lives extends beyond the game.Although Whitworth is now a member of the Los Angeles Rams, his acceptance speech hit close to home as he recalled a moment during this season when a fellow player spoke about how much his work in Cincinnati meant to him. The offensive-tackle said that rookie Derrick Barnes, a linebacker for the Detroit Lions and a Covington native, spoke about the time Whitworth spent at the local Boys & Girls Club when he was a young player in Cincinnati. "He said, 'Hey man, you're not going to remember me...you spent time with me when you were a young player in Cincinnati at the Boys & Girls Club, and it meant the world to me,'" Whitworth recounted. "He goes, 'You know what, the main thing I wanted to say, Whit, I made it. I made it to the NFL, Big Whit.'"Barnes was sitting in the crowd during Whitworth's acceptance speech."On that Tuesday off day, when every guy that's sitting in this room knows I'd rather be at home, I made an investment in him — and I didn't even know it," Whitworth said. "None of us know when the moment's going to present itself. The key is to always be available when it does." Whitworth, the oldest offensive tackle to ever play in an NFL game at 40, will face off against his former team in the Super Bowl on Sunday.After 11 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Whitworth said his family will always love Cincinnati and support the team and he's happy that they have finally reached the Super Bowl. After the Ram's NFC Championship Game win, Whitworth said "It's really cool and really special, having a relationship with a lot of the staff over there and some players. The city is a special place to us. I told Zac Taylor (the Bengals head coach) this when we spoke after the conference championship games that both places have my heart and people I believe in. It's really special to play in this game and to play against a that means so much to me."To watch Andrew Whitworth's Walter Payton Man of the Year acceptance speech, click here.
Former Cincinnati Bengal, Andrew Whitworth received the prestigious 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year award.
NFL description of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award:
Considered the league's most prestigious honor, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide recognizes NFL players who have exhibited excellence on the field, and whose passion to impact lives extends beyond the game.
Although Whitworth is now a member of the Los Angeles Rams, his acceptance speech hit close to home as he recalled a moment during this season when a fellow player spoke about how much his work in Cincinnati meant to him.
The offensive-tackle said that rookie Derrick Barnes, a linebacker for the Detroit Lions and a Covington native, spoke about the time Whitworth spent at the local Boys & Girls Club when he was a young player in Cincinnati.
"He said, 'Hey man, you're not going to remember me...you spent time with me when you were a young player in Cincinnati at the Boys & Girls Club, and it meant the world to me,'" Whitworth recounted. "He goes, 'You know what, the main thing I wanted to say, Whit, I made it. I made it to the NFL, Big Whit.'"
Barnes was sitting in the crowd during Whitworth's acceptance speech.
"On that Tuesday off day, when every guy that's sitting in this room knows I'd rather be at home, I made an investment in him — and I didn't even know it," Whitworth said. "None of us know when the moment's going to present itself. The key is to always be available when it does."
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Whitworth, the oldest offensive tackle to ever play in an NFL game at 40, will face off against his former team in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
After 11 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Whitworth said his family will always love Cincinnati and support the team and he's happy that they have finally reached the Super Bowl.
After the Ram's NFC Championship Game win, Whitworth said "It's really cool and really special, having a relationship with a lot of the staff over there and some players. The city is a special place to us. I told Zac Taylor (the Bengals head coach) this when we spoke after the conference championship games that both places have my heart and people I believe in. It's really special to play in this game and to play against a [team] that means so much to me."
To watch Andrew Whitworth's Walter Payton Man of the Year acceptance speech, click here.
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