CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video on the player above is from July 16, 2020.
One of the top defenders in the NFL, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is used to making an impact on the field.
Now the No. 1 pick of the 2017 NFL Draft is also being recognized for his contributions off of it.
On Thursday, the Browns announced that they have named Garrett their 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year. Each year, every NFL team names a nominee for the honor, which recognizes "the NFL’s best players for their performance on the field and their dedication to the community."
A league-wide winner for the award will be announced at the NFL Honors show during Super Bowl weekend.
“It is an honor to be named the Walter Payton Man of the Year for my team,” Garrett said in a statement. “It is of incredible significance just to be honored and have that kind of recognition because Sweetness was a hell of a man and a hell of a football player. He has been recognized and gone down in history for his off of the field passions and what he did for people in his community and all across the world. I would like to keep that going. He is one of my favorite running backs, as well as players. To be in the same sentence as him and the same breath is an honor in itself.”
Despite missing two games, Garrett currently ranks third in the NFL with 10.5 sacks and is the first Browns player to record at least 10 sacks in three consecutive seasons since it was first recognized as a statistic in 1982. Off the field, the Texas A&M product has been an active member and captain of the NFL's Waterboys program, which focuses on bringing clean water to communities in East Africa.
Earlier this year, Garrett spoke out against racial inequality and police brutality and paid for the funeral costs of funeral costs for David McAtee, a Louisville BBQ cook who was shot and killed by police during a protest. He has also paid tribute to John Sanders, a 24-year-old Sandusky man who lost an eye after being shot with a beanbag during a protest against police brutality in Cleveland.
As the Browns' Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, a $40,000 donation will be made to the charity of Garrett's choice. Meanwhile, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award will receive a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choosing.
Garrett will also participate in the annual Nationwide Charity Challenge. Fans can vote for Garrett on Twitter by using the hashtag #WPMOYChallengeGarrett, with the player who receives the most unique hashtags between Dec. 10-Jan. 17 receiving a $25,000 contribution to his charity.