Former Boise State Football Player Nominated For Man of the Year Award

Former Bosie State College Football player Charles Leno Jr. is nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award from the NFL.

The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is given to players who have made a positive impact in their communities. The award was first given to Jonny Unitas in 1970 and was only referred to as the Man of the Year Award. In 1999 the NFL renamed the award to honor Walter Payton and his legacy on and off the field.

What does the Man of The Year receive?

The Man of the Year recipient will have a $250,000 donation in his name to a charity of their choice, and the other 31 finalists receive a $50,000 donation in their name to a charity of their choice.

Charles Leno Jr. in his senior year at Boise State University was named first-team All-Mountain West. Through his sophomore and senior year, he started each of the Broncos with 39 consecutive games for Boise State.

Charles was drafted in the seventh round by the Chicago Bears in the 2014 NFL Draft and was a seven year starter with the team and made the Pro Bowl in 2019. He was then released in 2021 and then went to Washington to play for the Commanders.

In a post on Twitter he wrote " In life, I believe you are not defined by what you accomplish, but by the impact that you make on others' lives. Giving back to my community where I'm from, where I have been, and where I'm at, has always been a passion of mine."

In his Twitter post, he mentions that the charity he's been supporting is Beyond the Entertainer whose mission "Our mission is to mentor, empower, and inspire the community of all ages to pay it forward"  with the vision "to show the world that there is more to the athlete than what meets the eye. We believe that by working with all ages from children to adult, that we can provide opportunities, set examples, and lay the foundation of our futures."