Chad Greenway named 2015 Byron 'Whizzer' White Award winner

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway has been named as the winner of the 2015 Byron "Whizzer" White Award from the NFL Players Association.

The award is the most prestigious offered annually by the players association. Greenway was chosen because of his involvement in charitable activities throughout the region.

Greenway, a South Dakota native, started his "Lead The Way" Foundation in 2008. The organization has raised more than $1.3 million to provide seriously ill and physically challenged children better access to technological entertainment and education devices in hospitals and with unique experiences.

The award includes $100,000 for Greenway to donate toward his charitable endeavors.

"That's really the best part of this award is that a lot of people are going to be able to benefit from that, and we're thinking a lot of kids," Greenway said in a statement issued through the team. "We have a bunch of ideas out there, thinking about different schools, different things in my wife's and my past that have helped us along the way."

The award was established in 1967, and Greenway is the second Vikings player to win it – Cris Carter, in 1999, was the other. It was named for Byron "Whizzer" White, a former professional football player who went on to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

There might soon be news on Greenway's future, as well.

Greenway is entering the final year of his contract, which was scheduled to count $8.8 million against the salary cap. He has said many times since the end of the season that he wants to remain a Viking in 2015 and was willing to restructure his contract.