SAN DIEGO (REUTERS) — Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Troy Vincent was named the winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award Friday in recognition of his off-field contributions to the community.
NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue made the announcement at his annual Super Bowl news conference.
The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, named after the legendary Chicago Bears’ running back, is the only NFL award that recognizes a player’s off-the-field community service as well as playing excellence.
Active in numerous community groups, Vincent established the Troy Vincent Foundation to provide education services to troubled youths and last month became the first current player to be named to the Pop Warner board of directors
In a poll conducted by the Philadelphia Daily News, Vincent was selected the Philadelphia athlete who readers would most want to baby-sit their children.
The All-Pro cornerback joins an elite list of past winners, which includes 13 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
