By David Moore / Reporter
NEW ORLEANS – Jason Witten has never been comfortable drawing attention to his community service.
That doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be acknowledged.
One of the NFL’s most prestigious individual honors, the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, has gone to the Cowboys tight end. The announcement that Witten was selected over Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald and Cleveland’s Joe Thomas came Saturday evening. He will be honored on the field before Super Bowl XLVII by Jarrett and Brittney Payton, the children of the late Chicago running back for who the award is named.
“You make it a part of your life,’’ Witten said of the commitment to help those less fortunate. “I never said I do it for any of this. You do it to make a small impact in people’s lives.
“To be honest, this is a little bit uncomfortable. You never want to be recognized. The best part is the pureness and giving back. For me, that’s what it’s always been about. If it’s important to you, you will.
“I hope that legacy is just as much a part of my life as what kind of football player I am.’’
The award caps a season in which Witten became the all-time leading receiver in Cowboys history and set an NFL record for receptions in a season (110) by a tight end.
But this award isn’t about Witten’s excellence on the field. It’s about his contribution off it.
Witten’s non-profit SCORE Foundation helps victims of domestic abuse with programs and services designed to break the cycle of violence, a cycle that impacted Witten as a youth. He has funded programs and building projects in Texas and Tennessee through this foundation.
He serves as the Cowboys spokesman for NFL Play 60 and conducts one of the largest free football camps in the country for approximately 1,200 youth every year in Tennessee.
“I had a childhood that was challenging and fortunately my grandfather came and rescued me,’’ Witten said. “He was a high school football coach. He taught me a lot about being a football player, but he taught me more about being a man.
“Fortunately, because of that impact, when I came to the NFL that is something I wanted to give back, to encourage young kids to chase their dreams just like he encouraged me.’’
NEW ORLEANS – Jason Witten has never been comfortable drawing attention to his community service.
That doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be acknowledged.
One of the NFL’s most prestigious individual honors, the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, has gone to the Cowboys tight end. The announcement that Witten was selected over Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald and Cleveland’s Joe Thomas came Saturday evening. He will be honored on the field before Super Bowl XLVII by Jarrett and Brittney Payton, the children of the late Chicago running back for who the award is named.
“You make it a part of your life,’’ Witten said of the commitment to help those less fortunate. “I never said I do it for any of this. You do it to make a small impact in people’s lives.
“To be honest, this is a little bit uncomfortable. You never want to be recognized. The best part is the pureness and giving back. For me, that’s what it’s always been about. If it’s important to you, you will.
“I hope that legacy is just as much a part of my life as what kind of football player I am.’’
The award caps a season in which Witten became the all-time leading receiver in Cowboys history and set an NFL record for receptions in a season (110) by a tight end.
But this award isn’t about Witten’s excellence on the field. It’s about his contribution off it.
Witten’s non-profit SCORE Foundation helps victims of domestic abuse with programs and services designed to break the cycle of violence, a cycle that impacted Witten as a youth. He has funded programs and building projects in Texas and Tennessee through this foundation.
He serves as the Cowboys spokesman for NFL Play 60 and conducts one of the largest free football camps in the country for approximately 1,200 youth every year in Tennessee.
“I had a childhood that was challenging and fortunately my grandfather came and rescued me,’’ Witten said. “He was a high school football coach. He taught me a lot about being a football player, but he taught me more about being a man.
“Fortunately, because of that impact, when I came to the NFL that is something I wanted to give back, to encourage young kids to chase their dreams just like he encouraged me.’’
