Eli Manning on Coach Tom Coughlin: He hasn’t failed, ‘We failed him."
Eli Manning is one step closer to earning a prestigious award that no Giants player has ever won. He is one of three finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, which recognizes an NFL player for excellence on and off the field.
The award, presented by Nationwide, was established in 1970 and renamed in 1999 after the late Hall of Fame Bears running back.
Every NFL team nominates one player who has made a significant impact in his community. Manning has been the Giants Man of the Year every season from 2007 to 2013. The two other finalists for the award are 49ers receiver Anquan Boldin and Saints tight end Benjamin Watson. The winner will be announced during the NFL Honors awards show Feb. 6, the night before Super Bowl 50.
My dad [Archie] played at the same time as Walter Payton, and he has some stories and always talked about what a great person he was, Manning said last month. He was a prankster and just a joy to be around and worked extremely hard, and my dad has only great things to say about him. From everything wonderful Ive heard about him, its an honor to receive this award for the Giants team. Im proud of the work I do, on and off the field.
Manning is extremely active in the Giants community. He has served as the chair of the New York March for Babies for the past seven years. He also is involved with Tackle Kids Cancer, an initiative with Hackensack University Medical Center. Manning and his wife founded the Eli and Abby Manning Childrens Clinics in 2007 in Mississippi. They also created the University of Mississippi Medical Center Manning Family Fund, which received close to $1.5 million in 2015, its first year.
Manning also works with the American Red Cross, Guiding Eyes for the Blind, participates in the No More campaign, contributes to the Operation Smiles NYC gala, has a scholarship endowment at the University of Mississippi and has fulfilled numerous Make-A-Wish and Wounded Warrior experiences.
As my kids get older, I want them to understand the importance of being a part of community and helping out people that are less fortunate, and how many blessings they have, said Manning, who has three young daughters. I want them to have that in their life and an understanding of how important it is to help out other people and different causes.
The 32 team nominees receive a $5,000 donation to their charity of choice. The two runners-up will receive an additional $6,000 donation to their charity of choice. The winner will receive an additional $50,000 donation to his charity of choice.
Source: http://nypost.com/2016/01/24/eli-manning-has-2-to-beat-out-for-nfl-man-of-the-year/
