Seahawks Safety Julian Love Nominated For 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award

Seahawks safety Julian Love is his team’s nominee for the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

Dec 04, 2025 at 08:02 AM

Ari Horton

Seahawks.com Writer

Julian-Love-Seahawks-Walter-Payton-Man-Of-The-Year-Nominee

For the first time in his career, Julian Love has been nominated for the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, which recognizes one NFL player each year for his excellence on and off the field. Love's community impact has been felt in Seattle, and the surrounding areas, as well as back in his hometown of Chicago.

Back in his hometown, he has sponsored tuition-based scholarships for students at his alma mater, Nazareth Academy. And recently, he distributed coats and winter essentials to over 300 children at the Seattle YMCA and provided a Thanksgiving meal for 150 youth in Bellevue.

This honor meant more to Love than just an acknowledgment of all the important work he's doing in the community, but rather a full circle moment for the Chicago-native. Walter Payton, who played for 13 seasons for the Chicago Bears, is one of Love's, "superheroes."

"Walter Payton, he was like a hero," Love said. "I'm from Chicago, that's like a superhero for my generation, the generation before me. We were all raised on that. Me and my brother, when we first started playing football, we were like, 'Alright what number are we going to pick?' We gave my brother 34 for Walter Payton and I picked 20 at a young age, it was for Barry Sanders. Anything with his name attached to it is pretty special. That's crazy. My parents are going to cry too. They're going to be excited."

Thanks to the likes of Payton and his parents, Love said the importance of serving others became something he knew he needed to do.

"When you're young, you're playing football," he said. "My goal was to win Super Bowls, make plays. Thankfully my parents, at a young age before the league, just said, 'Try to make an impact for each kid that you come across, each person that you come across.' Because that's what Walter Payton, what all the greats did, they act like they've been there before and they paid it forward on and off the field. As I've gotten a little older, that's kind of on my mind more so. What's my legacy going to be, what's my impact going to be, so this is a legacy point. I'm in shock."

Ironically, Love was surprised with the news on the same day he was cleared to return to practice from injured reserve. Love has only played in three games this season and when he was surprised with the award, he was overcome with emotion with how difficult this season has been for him.

He said this has been, "A long year on a lot of fronts, just me not being on the field. That has a toll on it. [Today is] my first day at practice. It means a lot."

The 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year will be announced during NFL Honors on Thursday, Feb. 5, before the Super Bowl. The charitable beneficiary of each team's club winner will receive $40,000, and the nonprofit chosen by the overall national winner will receive $250,000.

Fans can help Love raise more through the league's annual Charity Challenge, a social media and online contest that allows fans to show support for their favorite Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee. Fans can vote on X/Twitter by posting #WPMOYChallenge along with the last name/X handle of their chosen nominee or by voting directly on NFL.com/ManOfTheYear. The nominee who receives the most collective hashtag mentions and online votes will win an additional $35,000 donation from Nationwide to the charity of their choice, with the runner-up receiving $10,000 and the third-place winner receiving $5,000. Charity Challenge voting takes place from Thursday, Dec. 4 to Sunday, Jan. 5.

Here are more of Love's recent community initiatives:

He's donated $25,000 to supply essentials, clothing, and appliances for children in need at Boys and Girls Clubs,

Last year, his annual Julian Love Youth Football Camp welcomed over 400 participants free of charge and included more than $40,000 in gear and resource donations. He's partnered with Dick's Sporting Goods to host a back-to-school shopping event for underserved youth. In collaboration with Safeway, Love contributed $400,000 to provide SNAP benefits to Washington families, and supports Every Mom Chicago, a nonprofit supporting expectant mothers in underserved communities.

Love is also a Legacy Board Member of Weish4ever, a non-profit organization dedicated to uplifting adolescents and young adults battling cancer. Additionally, Love has supported the Seahawks' Red Cross Blood Drive in partnership with Delta Air Lines for the past two years, further showcasing his dedication to community service and health advocacy.

PHOTOS: Julian Love & Seahawks Dancers Spread Holiday Cheer At Virginia Mason

Seahawks Safety Julian Love and the Seahawks Dancers brought holiday spirit to Virginia Mason Medical Center's Critical Care Unit, visiting heart surgery patients and sharing encouragement during recovery. Their visit is part of our ongoing commitment to Defend the Heart and promote heart health throughout the region.