LOGAN, Utah — Former Utah State football player and current Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner was one of 32 NFL players nominated for the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field. Representing the best of the NFL's commitment to philanthropy and community impact, 32 players are selected as their team's Man of the Year and become eligible to win the national award. 

The winner of the award each year receives a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice. All 32 nominees receive up to a $55,000 donation to their charity of choice. All donations are courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide. 

Wagner has become a staple in the Seattle community, while his personal charities and causes have reached far beyond it. In 2023, Wagner launched a new campaign called FAST54, which raises awareness for the signs of stroke and raises money for the Phenia Mae Fund, which is named in honor of his mother who he lost to a stroke. 

Wagner has also been a strong supporter of the Boys & Girls Club for several years, and has been a vocal advocate of HBCUs. Early this year, he made a generous donation to the Time for Change Foundation, which helps women recreate their life as they move into apartments of their own after they've been incarcerated, in rehabilitation centers or in domestic violence shelters. 

Behind the scenes and often without fanfare or recognition, Wagner frequently offers community support privately through providing grocery gift cards or holiday meals for those in need. For the past several years, he has also privately paid off student lunch account debts at local schools. 

On the field, Wagner is the Seahawks' leading tackler and ranks fifth in the NFL this season with 132 total tackles. He also leads the team with eight tackles for loss, and has 2.5 sacks and a fumble recovery while starting all 13 games this season. 

Wagner has built a Hall of Fame resume as a six-time first-team All-Pro and a member of the NFL's 2010s All-Decade Team. He has been selected to eight Pro Bowls while racking up 100-plus tackles every season of his 12-year pro career. Wagner has recorded 1,655 tackles in his career, seventh-most in NFL history. 

Playing at Utah State from 2008-11, Wagner is the program's all-time tackles leader with 446 in his career. He also ranks third in team history in games started with 46, and 10th in tackles for loss with 29.5. Wagner earned first-team all-conference honors three times during his Utah State career and led the team in tackles three separate seasons. He was inducted into the Utah State Hall of Fame in 2021.

The 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year winner will be announced during NFL Honors on Thursday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. on CBS. 

For more information on the Utah State football program, follow the Aggies on Twitter at @USUFootball, on Facebook at USUFootball and on Instagram at USUFootball.

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