OHIO — Thirty-two men have been picked by their NFL teams to be nominees for the 2024 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, including two from the Buckeye State.

Established in 1970, and renamed in 1999, the award is set to recognize one player who has made a significant impact on his community and shown excellence both on and off the field.

The Cleveland Browns nominated cornerback Denzel Ward, who was a first round 2018 NFL Draft pick by the team for his leadership on the field and throughout the community.

Ward was named a captain for the first time in his career this season and leads the league with 19 passes defensed, a career-high. He's the only NFL player to record at least 10 passes defensed and two interceptions in each season since 2018.

He establised a foundation, Make Them Know Your Name, in 2019, reflecting on his father, Paul G. Ward Jr.'s unexpected loss to cardiac arrest. The foundation focuses on preventing heart-related fatalities nationwide by providing educational resources focused on heart health.

Ward traveled to the Ohio State House this past offseason to provide testimony for House Bill 47, which Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law requiring all public schools, non-public charter schools, municipally owned or operated recreational centers to have automatic external defibrillators (AEDs). The Ohio Department of Health was also required to develop a model emergency action plan for using AEDs and for support staff to know how to use them and perform CPR.

“It’s an honor to be nominated the Walter Payton Man of the Year by the Cleveland Browns and get recognized for one of the most prestigious awards in the league through the hard work my family and I are doing with our Make Them Know Your Name Foundation by helping change lives and prevent families from experiencing what we did”, said Ward in a news release. “Special thanks to my mom, who has been with me through and through, doing an amazing job making strides to instill confidence in using CPR and AED kits in addition to putting more into more schools and facilities to make an everlasting impact on others. This award shows the type of character you are off the field, and I am forever grateful for the Browns organization to select me as their nominee for this year.”

The Cincinnati Bengals nominated offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. He was a third round pick in 2018 by the Baltimore Ravens where he played for three seasons. He spent two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs before joining the Bengals as a free agent in 2023.

Brown became involved with the Southern and Central Ohio chapter of Breakthrough T1D, a global Type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization.

He became committed to Type 1 diabetes advocacy through family connections to the disease. His grandmother was diagnosed with Type 1 and his father, former NFL player Orlando Brown Sr., passed away from diabetic ketoacidosis in 2011. Brown's younger brother was diagnosed at 8-years-old. Type 1 diabetes affects 1.4 million Americans nationwide.

Brown has attended several events including Breakthrough T1D’s Children’s Congress in Washington, D.C., joining in educating lawmakers about the disease and pushing for renewal of the Special Diabetes Program. He also partnered with Breakthrough T1D and Kroger at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center’s Juneteenth Jubilee where he spoke about the importance of improving access to educational resources, diabetes management devices and affordable insulin in Black communities.

Through community events at Paycor Stadium and around Cincinnati, Brown has also auctioned off items and memorabilia to benefit Type 1 diabetes research.

“I’m so thankful for the opportunity to represent the Bengals organization as its Walter Payton Man of the Year,” said Brown in a news release. “With all the work that I’ve done with Type 1 Diabetes, Breakthrough T1D, and so much that we’ve done as well in the black community here in Cincinnati — I’m very thankful. This is a goal that I’ve set for myself, to be able to light other people’s candles, to give someone comfort and allow others to know that you’re not alone."

Nominated players will be recognized starting in Week 14 with a WPMOY trophy silhouette helmet decal through the end of the NFL season. Current players who have received the award are recognized with a trophy silhouette patch on the front of their jerseys.

The award is presented by Nationwide, and the winner will receive up to $265,000 donation to the charity of his choice. All 32 nominees receive up to a $55,000 donation to their charity of choice with donations courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide Foundation.