NFL Man of the Year
Chris Long was named the 2018 recipient of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.
This award is given to players who not only excel on the field, but off the field as well.
Long kicked off his tenure in Philadelphia in 2017 by donating his first six game checks to fund scholarships in his hometown of Charlottesville:
He then announced in October in 2017 that he was donating his remaining ten game checks to fund educational equality in the three cities he played during his career: St. Louis, Boston, and Philadelphia.
In 2018, Long pledged a quarter of his salary to the “First Quarter for Literacy” drive. This drive helped bring books to underserved communities. He also pledged to donate up to $25,000 in matching donations to any opposing player who donates. Those matching donations would go to the donor’s playing city.
Long recently completed a trip atop Mount Kilimanjaro along with other NFL players and military veterans. This initiative sought to build 32 water wells in Africa, but they surpassed that goal by building 53. They updated their goal to bring clean water to over one million people worldwide.
Not only are the Eagles better with him as a player, they are better with him as a person. The world is also. Thank you Chris and we hope you fly with us for another season.
To donate to his initiatives please follow the links below:
Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
