Broncos nominate Dalton Risner for 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, presented by Nationwide

Dec 06, 2022 at 07:01 AM

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – The Broncos have selected guard Dalton Risner as the team's nominee for the 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, presented by Nationwide, it was announced on Tuesday.

The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award recognizes a player for his outstanding leadership both on the field and in the community. Selected by the Broncos in the second round (41st overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft from Kansas State University, Risner has displayed a passion for using his platform to impact his community during his four seasons as a Bronco.

A Wiggins, Colo., native, Risner was named the Broncos Community Rookie of the Year in 2019, received the Broncos Community Impact Award in 2020 and was named a 2021 Broncos Community Ambassador. Through his personal foundation, the RisnerUp Foundation, and team-led opportunities, Risner has been able to expand his outreach and impact across community groups by participating in nearly 50 community events in 2022 alone.

RISNER'S 2022 COMMUNITY WORK

Youth Development:

Risner serves as an Athlete Ambassador for A Precious Child, a nonprofit that provides children in need with opportunities and resources to empower them to achieve their full potential. He hosts annual football and life skills camps for children, and spearheaded financial and in-kind support for families impacted by the Marshall Fire—the most destructive fire in Colorado history. Risner raised money for those impacted by the fires through a Fire Relief Auction, and later visited Monarch High School to meet with students and teachers impacted by the fire and present a donation of $5,000 from the auction proceeds, as well as a $5,000 donation to A Precious Child to further their work to support those impacted.

The offensive lineman also serves as an Honorary Board Member of Special Olympics Colorado, being a local and national spokesperson for the organization, in addition to being a Champion Ambassador. He has hosted multiple events geared towards creating a more inclusive sports community and world for athletes of all abilities.

Risner continues to support Camp Kymel, an organization he got involved with during his college years, that works to improve the health of children and adolescents with cancer through summer camp experiences. Risner serves on the Board of Directors, attends camp activities and organization-wide events, and hosts special experiences for campers, including a cleat design contest for My Cause My Cleats.

RisnerUp Foundation:

Risner founded his foundation, the RisnerUp Foundation, while playing football at Kansas State University, as a way to have a long-lasting impact in the communities in which he has lived and played. He has partnered with various nonprofit organizations as they work together to offer a helping hand, lift spirits, generate smiles and spread hope—which is the RisnerUp Foundation mission. This season, Risner hosted his Foundation's inaugural fundraiser, bringing together teammates and community supporters to raise funds to further the nonprofit's community work and celebrate the individuals and nonprofits it partners with to make a difference.

Team Outreach:

Risner plays an active role in the Denver Broncos' weekly community outreach opportunities, joining his teammates in giving back to Broncos Country. From supporting local youth and high school football teams, to participating in every single one of the team's signature PLAY 60 programs and events, Risner continues to show up and give back to the community in which he lives and plays in.

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Dalton Risner and two girls from the Denver Broncos Boys & Girls Club pose for a photo.

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Dalton Risner poses for a photo with a family during a visit to Children's Hospital Colorado.

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Dalton Risner helps out at the annual high school 7-on-7 and Lineman Challenge championship tournaments at UCHealth Training Center on June 15, 2019.

Photo credit: Ben Swanson/DenverBroncos.com

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Dalton Risner plays a game with kids at a PLAY 60 event.

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Dalton Risner plays a game of touch football at Rangeview High School in Aurora, Colorado, after the school received the 2019 Doug Fulton Unified Champion School Kindness Award fromSpecial Olympics Colorado, in partnership with the Broncos and United Airlines. (Photo by Ben Swanson)

Photo credit: Ben Swanson/DenverBroncos.com/Denver Broncos

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Dalton Risner breaks down a pre-service huddle at North Middle School in Aurora, Colorado for a Character Playbook School Service event on December 9, 2019. (Photo by Emily Simanskis)

Photo credit: Emily Simanskis/DenverBroncos.com

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Dalton Risner helps students clean the gym at North Middle School in Aurora, Colorado for a Character Playbook School Service event on December 9, 2019. (Photo by Emily Simanskis)

Photo credit: Emily Simanskis/DenverBroncos.com

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Dalton Risner with a girl at Children's Hospital Colorado.

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Dalton Risner poses for a child at a community event.

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Dalton Risner with a child at Children's Hospital Colorado.

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Dalton Risner with a child at Children's Hospital Colorado.

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Dalton Risner and students play a game of touch football at Rangeview High School in Aurora, Colorado, after the school received the 2019 Doug Fulton Unified Champion School Kindness Award fromSpecial Olympics Colorado, in partnership with the Broncos and United Airlines. (Photo by Ben Swanson)

Photo credit: Ben Swanson/DenverBroncos.com/Denver Broncos

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Dalton Risner holds a check from his RisnerUp Foundation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver in 2020.

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Dalton Risner and his wife Whitney pose for a photo during a community event.

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Dalton Risner donates a check of more than $5,000 to Food Bank of the Rockies on June 1, 2020, after raising more than $16,000 for the food bank and two other organizations through a radiation fundraiser. (Photo by Ben Swanson)

Photo credit: Ben Swanson/DenverBroncos.com/Denver Broncos

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Dalton Risner during training camp at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, CO, August 31, 2020. Photo by Gabriel Christus

Gabriel Christus/© Denver Broncos/Gabriel Christus

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Dalton Risner reads a children's book to kids over Zoom.

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Dalton Risner reads a children's book to kids over Zoom.

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Dalton Risner at a community event.

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Dalton Risner makes a Zoom appearance for Children's Hospital Colorado.

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Dalton Risner during the 2021 Denver Rescue Mission Holiday Party at the Mission's The Crossing location in Denver, Colorado on December 6, 2021. (Photo by Ben Swanson)

Photo credit: Ben Swanson/DenverBroncos.com

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Dalton Risner during a community event.

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Dalton Risner participates in a PLAY 60 Express event hosted by the Broncos and Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, CO on September 7, 2021.

Sam Weaver/Sam Weaver Photography

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Dalton Risner during the 2021 Denver Rescue Mission Holiday Party at the Mission's The Crossing location in Denver, Colorado on December 6, 2021. (Photo by Ben Swanson)

Photo credit: Ben Swanson/DenverBroncos.com

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Dalton Risner with a child and their bike.

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Dalton Risner at a community event.

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Dalton Risner visits the Denver Fire Academy on November 2, 2021 in recognition of First Responders Appreciation Day.

Sam Weaver/Sam Weaver Photography

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Dalton Risner participates in a PLAY 60 Express event hosted by the Broncos and Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, CO on September 7, 2021.

Sam Weaver/Sam Weaver Photography

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Dalton Risner and his fiancé at Dalton Risner's jersey retirement ceremony at Wiggins High School in Wiggins, CO on September 2, 2021.

Sam Weaver/Sam Weaver Photography

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Dalton Risner and his mother at Dalton Risner's jersey retirement ceremony at Wiggins High School in Wiggins, CO on September 2, 2021.

Sam Weaver/Sam Weaver Photography

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Dalton Risner at Dalton Risner's jersey retirement ceremony at Wiggins High School in Wiggins, CO on September 2, 2021.

Sam Weaver/Sam Weaver Photography

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Dalton Risner visits with poll workers to thank them for their work and passes out stickers to voters at Denver's West High School on Election Day, November 8, 2022. (Photo by Ben Swanson)

Photo credit: Ben Swanson/DenverBroncos.com

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Dalton Risner visits with poll workers to thank them for their work and passes out stickers to voters at Denver's West High School on Election Day, November 8, 2022. (Photo by Ben Swanson)

Photo credit: Ben Swanson/DenverBroncos.com

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Dalton Risner visits with poll workers to thank them for their work and passes out stickers to voters at Denver's West High School on Election Day, November 8, 2022. (Photo by Ben Swanson)

Photo credit: Ben Swanson/DenverBroncos.com

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Dalton Risner with Denver clerk and recorder Paul López as he visits with poll workers to thank them for their work and passes out stickers to voters at Denver's West High School on Election Day, November 8, 2022. (Photo by Ben Swanson)

Photo credit: Ben Swanson/DenverBroncos.com

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Dalton Risner visits with poll workers to thank them for their work and passes out stickers to voters at Denver's West High School on Election Day, November 8, 2022. (Photo by Ben Swanson)

Photo credit: Ben Swanson/DenverBroncos.com

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Dalton Risner speaks to the crowd as the guest speaker at the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Colorado Chapter Scholar-Athlete Awards Banquet in Golden, Colorado on April 18, 2022. (Photo by Ben Swanson)

Photo credit: Ben Swanson/DenverBroncos.com

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Dalton Risner during a Play 60 event on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. Photo by Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos

Photo by Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos/2022 Denver Broncos

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Dalton Risner during the Taste of the Broncos on Monday, September 19, 2022 at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. Photo by Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos

Photo by Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos/2022 Denver Broncos

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Dalton Risner during a volunteer packaging event at Food Bank of the Rockies' warehouse in Denver, Colorado on September 7, 2022. (Photo by Ben Swanson)

Photo credit: Ben Swanson/DenverBroncos.com

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Dalton Risner during the Taste of the Broncos on Monday, September 19, 2022 at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. Photo by Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos

Photo by Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos/2022 Denver Broncos

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Dalton Risner at a community event.

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Dalton Risner during the Broncos Kickoff Luncheon presented by U.S. Bank and Arrow Electronics on Friday, August 26, 2022 at UCHealth Training Center in Englewood, Colorado. Photo by Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos

Photo by Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos/2022 Denver Broncos

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Dalton Risner during a Play 60 event on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. Photo by Amanda Gerlach/Denver Broncos

Photo by Amanda Gerlach/Denver Broncos/2022 Denver Broncos

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Dalton Risner during a Play 60 event on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. Photo by Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos

Photo by Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos/2022 Denver Broncos

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Dalton Risner during a Play 60 event on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. Photo by Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos

Photo by Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos/2022 Denver Broncos

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Photo credit: Ben Swanson/DenverBroncos.com

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Dalton Risner talks with Trey McBride at the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Colorado Chapter Scholar-Athlete Awards Banquet in Golden, Colorado on April 18, 2022. (Photo by Ben Swanson)

Photo credit: Ben Swanson/DenverBroncos.com

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Dalton Risner at the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Colorado Chapter Scholar-Athlete Awards Banquet in Golden, Colorado on April 18, 2022. (Photo by Ben Swanson)

Photo credit: Ben Swanson/DenverBroncos.com

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Dalton Risner during the All ability Play 60 clinic with Special Olympics Colorado on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 at UCHealth Training Center in Englewood, Colorado. Photo by Gabriel Christus

Photo by Gabriel Christus

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WALTER PAYTON NFL MAN OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY NATIONWIDE

As a nominee, Risner will wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of the season in recognition of his accomplishments on and off the field. All current players who have won the national award will wear a Man of the Year patch on their jerseys in perpetuity.

All 32 team winners will be highlighted as nominees and recognized for their important work during the weekend leading up to Super Bowl LVII. The 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year will be announced during NFL Honors, a two-hour primetime awards special to air nationally on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023.

All 32 nominees will receive up to a $40,000 donation in their name to their charity of choice. The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award will receive up to a $250,000 donation to the charity of their choice. All donations are courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.

Now through Jan. 8, 2022, fans are encouraged to participate in Nationwide's Charity Challenge, a social media campaign designed to support and promote team nominees. Fans can vote on Twitter by using #WPMOYChallenge followed by their favorite nominee's last name and/or Twitter handle. The player whose name is used the most during that time will receive a $25,000 contribution to his designated charity, while the second and third place finishers will receive $10,000 and $5,000 donations respectively, all courtesy of Nationwide.

More information about the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award and Charity Challenge can be found at https://www.nfl.com/honors/man-of-the-year/.

Previous Broncos nominees for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award include safety Justin Simmons (2019-21), outside linebacker Von Miller (2018), cornerback Chris Harris Jr. (2017), tight end Virgil Green (2016), safety David Bruton Jr. (2015), guard Ben Garland (2014), linebacker Wesley Woodyard (2010-11, '13), guard Zane Beadles (2012), cornerback Champ Bailey (2008-09), cornerback Domonique Foxworth (2007), wide receiver Rod Smith (2004, '06), safety John Lynch (2005), linebacker Ian Gold (2003) and wide receiver Ed McCaffrey (2002).

Quarterback John Elway (1992) is the only Broncos nominee to win the national award, which was first given in 1970 and renamed after the Chicago Bears' Pro Football Hall of Fame running back in 1999.

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Dalton Risner was surprised by the announcement that he was named the Denver Broncos nominee for Walter Payton Man of the Year on Monday, November 21, 2022 at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. Photo by Gabriel Christus / Denver Broncos