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ENGLEWOOD, Colo.**— Nationwide Insurance, an official partner of the Denver Broncos and the National Football League, presented Broncos 2014 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Ben Garlandwith a $10,000 donation to his SoDE Solution foundation on Wednesday.
The Broncos announced Garland as their Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award recipient in December for his outstanding leadership both on the field and in the community. In addition to his own charitable efforts for SoDE Solution, Garland is a regular participant in team community events. He volunteers his time for Drive for Life, Hometown Huddle, events with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, the Broncos high school football platform and the Denver Broncos Holiday Party for the Denver Rescue Mission.
"It was a huge honor and the fact that so many guys on the team do so much for our community—even the Broncos really go out of their way to really help our community—for them to honor me in this way, it means a lot to me. But to get that $10,000 towards my foundation, we're going to be able to do so much with that all around the world," Garland said.
Three of the NFL's 32 nominees will be announced this month as finalists for the national Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, presented by Nationwide and named for the legendary Bears running back who died in 1999.
The winner will be announced in Arizona, the site of Super Bowl XLIX, during the 4th Annual NFL Honors awards show, a two-hour primetime special to air nationally on Saturday, Jan. 31, from 7-9 p.m. MST on NBC.
"[When] I was a kid in Colorado when people did stuff for me it meant so much to me. I remember I met a Bronco—it was a no-name guy—when I was a little kid and he did something for me and that's all I could talk about for the next two months," Garland said. "So I figured if I ever had that opportunity to help out the way they helped me, I'm going to."
For more information on all team nominees and the award, visit www.NFL.com/manoftheyear.
Nationwide Insurance presented Ben Garland with a $10,000 check to his SoDE Solution foundation.