D.J. Reader is the Houston Texans nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. The Texans fourth-year defensive lineman will now be eligible to win the national award, considered one of the league's most prestigious honors. The Walter Payton Man of the Year award recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community service activities and excellence on the field. The NFL announced all 32 nominees, one from each team in the league, on Thursday.
As a nominee, Reader 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. Earlier this season, Reader was named the Texans 2019 Spirit of the Bull award winner, awarded each year to a player who makes a big impact on the field, as well as in the community. Reader has been the face of the Texans NFL Play 60 campaign and actively supports the National Kidney Foundation, after losing his father, David, to kidney failure.
Reader, selected in the fifth-round of the 2016 NFL Draft, has played in 59 games with 50 starts. Through 13 games this season, the Clemson alum has set a single-season record in tackles for loss (6), sacks (2.5) and quarterback hits (11).
All 32 nominees will receive a donation of up to $50,000 in their name to their charity of choice. The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award will receive a $250,000 donation to the charity of their choice. J.J. Watt was named the NFL's 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year after raising $37 million for his Hurricane Harvey relief fund. The 2019 Walter Payton Man of the Year will be announced during the annual NFL Honors primetime awards ceremony on February 1.
More information about the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award can be found at http://www.nfl.com/manoftheyear.
