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Zach Ertz Named Arizona Cardinals' Walter Payton Man of the Year

The Arizona Cardinals named tight end Zach Ertz their Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.

On Tuesday, the Arizona Cardinals announced tight end Zach Ertz was their Arizona Cardinals/Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. Each team submitted their nomination this morning.

NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year

Per the press release, "The award is in recognition of outstanding community service activities off the field as well as excellence on the field. As a nominee, Ertz will receive a donation of up to $40,000 in his name to a charity of his choice."

Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill offered the following words on the nomination:

“As outstanding as he’s been on the field throughout his career, Zach’s commitment to giving back is even more exceptional and makes him such a fitting selection for this award. 

"Whether in Philadelphia or now in Arizona, Zach and Julie Ertz are making a meaningful difference in so many areas. Among the most notable is their passionate commitment to fighting hunger and food insecurity, a cause they championed almost immediately upon arriving in Arizona last year. 

"We appreciate them and all of our players who go above and beyond to get involved in our communities to make them better.” 

More on the press release on Ertz's charitable donations:

"In his second season with the Cardinals, Ertz along with his foundation (The Ertz Family Foundation) and The Athletes’ Corner have teamed up again to fight hunger through the on-field performance of the team. The two foundations brought back their 'Score More n’ Feed More' initiative where they will help provide meals to Arizona food banks for every touchdown the Cardinals score this season. 

"Last year, the 'Score More n’ Feed More' initiative helped provide a total of 150,000 meals to food banks in Arizona. This year, Zach and his wife, Julie have pledged to help provide 500,000 meals to food banks. This is the third year that the Ertz Family Foundation has partnered with The Athletes’ Corner to help fight hunger. Through their campaigns the two foundations have helped provide a total of 1.4 million meals to families in need with the help of Feeding America."

Ertz himself shared his thoughts on the nomination:

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