Patriots Nominate Lawrence Guy For Walter Payton Man Of The Year Award
FOXBORO — The New England Patriots announced Lawrence Guy Sr. as its nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. Each of the NFL’s 32 nominees were announced on Tuesday.
Since joining the Patriots in 2017, Guy has been one of the team’s most productive defensive linemen. Having started 86 of 88 games played in a Pats uniform, he has logged 320 total tackles (20 for loss), 34 quarterback hits, 9.5 sacks, four fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. Despite missing three games with a shoulder injury, Guy has earned 12 solo takedowns and one sack in 2022, maintaining his position as a stalwart on both run and pass defense.
Still, Guy’s prominent place within New England communities is what has made him beloved throughout the region. In addition to the work he does with his own foundation, he has eagerly participated in numerous events hosted by the New England Patriots Foundation, aims to let his career as a football player serve as his platform to improve the lives of people in need.
Guy and his wife, Andrea, established the Lawrence Guy Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides resources and opportunities for financially disadvantaged families. Among many community initiatives, the Foundation hosts four big events each year. The first being a backpack giveaway for 150 high school students to Gillette Stadium and gave each student a backpack full of essential school supplies. They also hosted a baby shower for underprivileged families, providing more than $80,000 worth of products and gifts to single mothers who are expecting or recently had a baby. For the fourth consecutive year, the foundation hosted its “Thanksgiving with the Guys,” where they provided 200 local families with Thanksgiving meals.
Finally, they partner with an area Dick’s Sporting Goods to host a holiday shopping spree for underprivileged children called Shop with a Jock, where each child is provided dinner, a t-shirt and a gift card to shop with. The Guys are also hosting a holiday party for five families from the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester for a dinner at Gillette Stadium. Each family received more than a dozen gifts, a Christmas tree, participated in holiday themed activities and played games on the game field.
“It is a tremendous honor to be chosen as the Patriots 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee,” Guy said of his nomination. “My wife and I have always made giving back a priority, and the NFL and New England Patriots have given us a special platform to do so. My goal is to show up for the communities that show up for me every Sunday. It is a blessing to be nominated because Walter Payton left such an inspiring legacy on this game, one that I will continue to try to emulate.”
Shortly after the NFL announced its nominees, Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft issued the following statement, applauding Guy as the team’s representative for the esteemed award.
“We are honored to nominate Lawrence Guy for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. Since he arrived in New England five years ago, no player has dedicated more time or more personal resources to positively impact the lives of others in our New England communities. Lawrence and his wife Andrea have made it a personal priority to do more every year that they have been here and continue to exceed all expectations in terms of their generosity. He leads by example and is a great ambassador for the Patriots, both on and off the field.”
As a nominee, Lawrence Guy Sr. will wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of the season in recognition of his accomplishments on and off the field.
Considered one of the league's most prestigious honors, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field.
The winner will be announced at NFL Honors during the week of Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, AZ.
The Patriots return to the practice fields on Tuesday to begin preparations for their Week 14 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on Monday night Dec. 12. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET.
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