FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons have named Grady Jarrett as their nomination for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, the league announced Thursday morning. This is Jarrett's second nomination for the award, his first came in 2019.
Raised in Conyers, Georgia, Jarrett has been with the Falcons organization for a decade after the team selected him in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
The Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination is bestowed upon individuals who 1) demonstrate excellence on the field, 2) show dedication and commitment to community efforts during the calendar year, 3) show dedication and commitment to community efforts in years past and 4) demonstrate consistency in positive character and models a lifestyle of giving back. Jarrett — for all intents and purposes — has been the prime example of these four pillars throughout his entire career in Atlanta.
On the field, Jarrett has been the heart and soul of the Falcons' defensive unit across a decade of work and with seven different defensive coordinators. In Week 1 of the 2024 season, Jarrett became the franchise's leader in quarterback hits, surpassing John Abraham who had 115.
"You always felt like he was the heart and soul, you just didn't know of what yet," head coach Raheem Morris said when thinking back on Jarrett's first few years in the league. "It's really become Atlanta. Not even just the defense. It goes beyond a side of the ball. It's gone beyond even the building. It's going outside of the building and has gone to the whole city of Atlanta."
Off the field, Jarrett's impact in the greater Atlanta community — a community in which he was raised — has been unmatched. The pinnacle of Jarrett's community efforts can be seen in his foundation, Grady Gives.
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In June, Grady made one of his largest donations, granting $70,000 in scholarships to help young students from underprivileged backgrounds advance their academic careers.
He continues to pour into his "Big Men Don't Bully" campaign in which he hosts education workshops with open discussions on recognizing bullying traits to develop a community-wide anti-bullying strategy. This year, he has hosted three anti-bullying pep rallies throughout schools in Atlanta with this campaign.
Through his annual "Grady Gives Weekend," Grady raised more than $150,000 this year to give back to the Atlanta community. The weekend consisted of a foundation fundraiser at TopGolf, a free football camp for 400 kids in Rockdale County and the Big Man 7-on-7 tournament for local high school football players.
A specific passion point of Jarrett's in 2024 was his connection to patients at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Partnering with the Rally Foundation to be a champion for support of those diagnosed with pediatric cancer, Jarrett recently hosted a group of Rally Kids and their families for bowling before helping the kids pick out their fancy outfits for the foundation's fashion show fundraiser, "Rally on the Runway." Jarrett was a co-host for the show, walked the runway with pediatric cancer patients and helped the organization raise more than $700,000.
This was all on top of the regularly scheduled events he's done for years, which include working with the Atlanta Mission to provide 300 homeless men in Atlanta with Thanksgiving meals, along with providing 1,000 turkeys to families in need in his hometown area of Rockdale County. During the Christmas season, Jarrett hosts a toy giveaway for more than 1,000 families, too.
"There's probably nobody on the team that works harder than him. There's probably nobody on the team that's a better role model in every aspect that we ask our Falcons to be, not just on the field but off the field, too," Falcons owner Arthur Blank said of Jarrett. "He's one of those folks you spend time with during your life and you never forget him."
Every year, 32 players are selected as their team's Man of the Year nomination and become eligible to win the national award. Fans who would like to vote for Jarrett can do so by clicking on this link.
The winner of the award receives a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice. All 32 nominees receive up to a $55,000 donation to their charity of choice. All donations are courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.
The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award is announced live at NFL Honors, a nationally televised event held in early February.
