Travis Kelce is officially the Kansas City Chiefs' nominee for a prestigious annual NFL award that a player from the team hasn't won in nearly 15 years.

The NFL has announced the players nominated by each of the 32 NFL teams for the 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. Formerly named the NFL Man of the Year Award, this was renamed to honor the legacy of Walter Payton after his death. It's considered one of the highest annual honors awarded by the NFL, signifying both on-field excellence and a player's commitment toward "creating a lasting positive impact beyond the game." 

“The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award celebrates Walter’s enduring legacy of excellence on the field and compassion off it,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell via press release. “This award is the league’s most prestigious honor, and we are proud to recognize these 32 outstanding men for the positive impact they make in their communities every day.”

The last Chiefs player to win this award was OG Brian Waters in 2009. In total, Kansas City has seen five players win the prestigious award since 1970, including QB Len Dawson, LB Willie Lanier, DE Derrick Thomas, and RG Will Shields. Four of the five players to win the award are Pro Football Hall of Famers and all of them have been selected to the Chiefs' Ring of Honor.

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce has made a profound impact in his communities in Kansas City and Cleveland Heights

Travis Kelce's dominance on the football field is well-documented, but his impact on his communities sometimes has gone unnoticed. Kelce first established his foundation, Eighty-Seven & Running, in 2015. Their mission is to provide opportunities and empower disadvantaged youth to aspire beyond their current situations. They help provide resources in both Kansas City and Cleveland Heights to help youth disperse their talent in the areas of education, business, athletics, STEM, and the arts.

“Over the past 12 years, Travis Kelce has grown into one of the most dynamic individuals in all of football, both on and off the field,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said via press release. “He’s a three-time Super Bowl Champion, a nine-time Pro Bowler and one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. He’s also a tremendous leader, a role model for young people in Kansas City and an inspiration to football fans around the world. Through his new Ignition Lab, the growing Eighty-Seven & Running Foundation and his partnership with Operation Breakthrough, Travis has impacted the lives of thousands of young people in the Kansas City region and beyond. Very few athletes in the history of the game have balanced the same level of team success, individual accolades and community engagement. The Chiefs organization and the Kansas City community are proud to have Travis as the club’s nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.”

Kelce has partnered with Operation Breakthrough, an after-school program whose mission is to provide support, food security, and extracurricular opportunities to some of the most impoverished community members of Kansas City.

Kelce quietly made his strongest impact on Operation Breakthrough during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping them keep their doors open.

In 2020, Kelce purchased an abandoned muffler shop to turn it into what is now known as the "Ignition Lab." In partnership with Operation Breakthrough, Kelce has created an after-school program for inner-city kids to gain real-world, tangible experience and life skills in STEM fields. They've launched three separate entrepreneurial businesses, including a food truck, a hydroponic farm, and a digital media studio, which provide opportunities for students to discover their unique interests and further develop their skills. 700 students are now served daily at the "Ignition Lab"

“I’m truly honored to be nominated as the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. This organization and this city mean so much to me and to have the Chiefs nominate me again is special,” Kelce said via press release. “Growing up in Cleveland Heights with supportive family and friends, I know the power of having people in your corner. It’s been incredible to be able to work towards providing that same support and inspiration to kids through Eighty-Seven & Running and our work with Operation Breakthrough and the Ignition Lab. To see the inaugural class from the Ignition Lab getting ready to graduate is so special and something that I’ll cherish forever. I know how valuable hope and purpose is in those high school years, and these kids have really seized the opportunity. Being able to give back to the community here in Kansas City as well as show love to my hometown is not something I’ll ever take for granted. I’m forever grateful to represent Kansas City, the Hunt family, our fans and my foundation, and it’s an honor to be nominated.”

All 32 nominees for Walter Payton Man of the Year will be recognized for their achievements during the week leading up to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. Each nominee will receive up to $55,000 for their charity of choice, and the award winner will receive up to a $265,000 donation to that charity. All donations are made possible by the NFL Foundation and Nationwide Foundation.

Walter Payton Man of the Year Charity Challenge

In 2022, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes did not win Walter Payton Man of the Year, but fans voted him as the winner of the annual charity challenge. Fans can vote for Travis Kelce as the winner of the annual charity challenge this year by participating on X (the app formerly known as Twitter) by posting #WPMOYChallenge along with the last name or social media handle of their chosen nominee (Ex: #WPMOYChallenge @tkelce). RTs count as votes. They can also vote directly on NFL.com/ManOfTheYear.

If Kelce receives the most collective hashtag mentions and votes, he will win an additional $35,000 donation from Nationwide, with the runner-up receiving $10,000 and the third-place winner receiving $5,000. This voting opens today, Thursday, Dec. 5, and concludes on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.

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