New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke has been selected as the team’s 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee, an honor recognizing players for outstanding impact on and off the field.
Okereke learned of the nomination during a fundraising event for his Nigerian American Football Foundation, where team officials surprised him with the Man of the Year helmet decal he will wear for the rest of the season.
The award, established in 1970 and renamed after Hall of Famer Walter Payton in 1999, honors one nominee from each NFL team.
The winner, to be announced at NFL Honors on February 6, receives up to $265,000 for a charity of his choice, while all nominees receive up to $55,000. Former quarterback Eli Manning remains the only Giant to win the league-wide award.
Okereke, a first-generation Nigerian American, credits his parents’ values, discipline, and pursuit of opportunity for shaping his path from California to Stanford to the NFL.
His commitment to service expanded in 2024 when he joined teammate Kayvon Thibodeaux in Lagos for NFL Africa programs, helping scout young talent and promote flag football across the continent.
In 2025, he became general manager of Nigeria’s men’s and women’s national flag football teams, aiming to build a developmental pipeline ahead of the sport’s debut at the 2028 Olympics. He also launched the Nigerian American Football Foundation to support the initiative.
Locally, Okereke set a goal to visit all 16 Boys and Girls Clubs in New Jersey, inspired by his own Boy Scout upbringing and mentorship from NFL great Andre Reed. Teammate Russell Wilson praised Okereke’s leadership, calling him a positive presence who elevates every space he enters.
Through his community work and leadership, Okereke has embodied the spirit of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award for the Giants in 2025.
