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For Second Straight Year, Bradley Bozeman Is Ravens' Nominee For Walter Payton Man Of The Year Award

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (WJZ) -- The Baltimore Ravens have again nominated offensive lineman Bradley Bozeman for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, recognizing the work of players on and off the field.

Bozeman was also the team's nominee in 2020.

Through their foundation, Bozeman and his wife Nikki have talked with students, from elementary to high school, about the dangers of bullying. At the start of 2020, they set off on a cross-country trip to talk with 12,000 kids in 18 schools in 16 different states, but their trek was cut short by the pandemic.

Seeing the impacts of the pandemic in the Baltimore area, the Bozemans partnered with Mount Pleasant Ministries in Baltimore to distribute meals every other week to those in need.

According to their foundation's page, Bradley and Nikki Bozeman have partnered with other local organizations to deliver 1.9 million non-perishable and fresh meals.

In July, the couple partnered with the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Maryland and Baltimore Police Department to form the SYNC Snack Program, providing children in disadvantaged communities with snacks and educational materials, the team said.

Coach John Harbaugh announced Bozeman's nomination at the team's practice facility.

In the video, Bozeman encouraged all his teammates to get involved with the community.

"Find something you're passionate about, find what you love, whether it's talking to kids just to inspire them to do something great--you don't realize what 5 seconds of your life will do for that kid and project them into a different direction," he said.

A 2018 sixth-round pick out of Alabama, Bozeman has played in 58 games as a Raven and hasn't missed a start since 2019. In 2021, he moved from guard to center.

The winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award receives a $250,000 donation to their charity of choice. The other 31 nominees receive a donation of up to $40,000.

Fans can also help out the Bozeman's foundation by taking part in Nationwide's 7th Annual Charity Challenge on Twitter. Users can use the hashtag, #WPMOYChallenge followed by the nominee's last name to participate (#WPMOYChallengeBozeman). The nominee whose hashtag is used the most between Dec. 7 and Jan. 17th will receive a $25,000 constitution to a charity of their choice. Second and third place winners will receive $10,000 and $5,000, courtesy of Nationwide.
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