Former UNC standout running back Giovani Bernard–who has spent his entire seven-year NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals–was chosen as his team’s nominee for this year’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
The award honors an active player for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field.
Bernard has made a huge impact in his community through The Bernard Family Foundation, which gives underprivileged children a platform for success by providing opportunities for education, athletics and lessons in core values.
The foundation also supports the Jardin Vert de Josette School in Haiti, which is named after Bernard’s mother.
“Being nominated gives me an opportunity to show people what I’m passionate about off the field,” Bernard said. “My mom and my dad are from Haiti and I want to be able to give back to where my parents came from. It fills me with joy to know that the school is named after my mom and to be able to do something like that in my mom’s honor.”
For the final three games of Cincinnati’s regular season, Bernard will wear a Walter Payton Man of the Year decal on his helmet.
Each of the NFL’s 32 teams nominates one player for the award, with the winner announced at the annual NFL Honors ceremony on Feb. 1.
Photo via Getty Images
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