INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts have named Zaire Franklin as their nominee for this year's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
The award recognizes a player's performance on the field, as well as his efforts to make an impact off the field. It is considered the most prestigious honor an NFL player can be given.
Franklin, who is among the NFL leaders in tackles this season, has worked to improve the communities of Indianapolis, as well as his hometown of Philadelphia.
Franklin founded Shelice's Angels in 2019, in memory of his late mother. The Colts linebacker uses the foundation to help empower young women to succeed as professionals. The foundation hosts workshops and seminars, as well as providing students with the tools and role models they need to embark on a career.
"The genesis of it at its heart is really just me giving back to young women who are in situations that I was in," Franklin told Colts.com. "I feel like so many times as athletes, we want to do football camps. When I pull up to a middle school, I'm talking to the young guys — they're like, 'Oh, who's the best running back you played,' it's always stuff like that. And I love that — that's the stuff that motivates me, keeps me going. But I feel like so many times, the young women are the ones that are overlooked in those communities."
Franklin's foundation has taken students on several field trips to prominent businesses in sports and technology, including Meta's headquarters in New York City.
He holds a degree in finance from Syracuse University, which he has used to host financial literacy seminars. In November, Franklin hosted a Thanksgiving meal with the Boys and Girls Club of Indianapolis.
Each team in the NFL nominates a player to be the Walter Payton Man of the Year. Those nominees each receive up to $55,000, and the winner receives a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice.
"I want that to be first and foremost — yes, he was a great player, yes he was a great leader. But also he affected every community in which he was in in a positive manner," Franklin said. "And he left it better how he found it."
The winner will be announced on Feb. 8, 2024, during the NFL Honors show before Super Bowl LVIII.
Peyton Manning is the only Indianapolis Colts player to win the honor, when he was selected in 2005. Baltimore Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas won the award in 1970, its second year of existence.