49ers' Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee gets deserved recognition after season ruined by bad luck
Curtis Robinson's season was ended after just three games, but the San Francisco 49ers linebacker has been nominated for the NFL's most prestigious award. Robinson is this year's 49ers nominee for Walter Payton Man of the Year. San Francisco had previously nominated Arik Armstead for the award in the each of the previous four seasons. […]
Curtis Robinson's season was ended after just three games, but the San Francisco 49ers linebacker has been nominated for the NFL's most prestigious award.
Robinson is this year's 49ers nominee for Walter Payton Man of the Year.
San Francisco had previously nominated Arik Armstead for the award in the each of the previous four seasons.
Armstead has been nominated this year by the Jacksonville Jaguars, with whom he signed in free agency after being released by the 49ers this offseason. Another former 49er, Solomon Thomas, is the nominee for the New York Jets.
The award recognizes "players who excel on the field and demonstrate a steadfast commitment to creating a positive impact beyond the game".
Anquan Boldin is the only 49er to have won it, doing so in 2015.
They will hope Robinson can follow in his footsteps, the linebacker having cruelly seen his season ended prematurely after an excellent training camp.
Since 2021, Robinson has spent the bulk of his 49ers career on the practice squad but fought his way onto the 53-man roster for the 2024 campaign despite significant competition, only for the former Stanford defender to suffer a torn ACL in practice in September.
Still only 26, Robinson has plenty of time to make up for lost time on the field, but it's clear he has already made a huge impact in the community, one that could see him etch his name in franchise and league history.
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