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Carolina Panthers Thomas Davis is a finalist for the Walter Payton NFL Man of The Year Award. Davis joins Jay Feely of the Arizona Cardinals and Charles Tillman of the Chicago Bears as the top candidates for this year’s award, named for the legendary Bears running back who died in 1999.

The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award recognizes a player’s off-the-field community service as well as his playing excellence. Davis was NFC Defensive Player of the Month honors for November. He set or tied career highs for tackles, sacks, interceptions and passes defended.

In 2007, Davis and his wife Kelly founded the Thomas Davis Defending Dreams Foundation (TDDDF), a non-profit dedicated to providing and promoting free programs that enhance the quality of life for more than 2,000 underprivileged children and their families annually. The foundation’s cornerstone program, the Youth Leadership Academy, is a 14-week after-school mentoring program for low-income middle school students. Davis annually provides two college scholarships for graduating high school seniors who have completed the Youth Leadership Academy program. The TDDDF hosts annual programs including a back-to-school supply giveaway, a Thanksgiving meal at a battered women’s shelter and a Christmas gift giveaway for underprivileged children, both in Charlotte and in Davis’ hometown in Georgia. In June, Davis led the construction of the first and only playground in his small rural hometown of Shellman, GA. In addition, his annual free football camp provides over 350 children with instruction in football basics with a focus on life skills. Davis is active in the Panthers PLAY 60 efforts and is an ongoing supporter of the team’s pediatric hospital visits. In 2013, Davis was voted by his teammates as the Carolina Panthers nominee for the Byron “Whizzer” White Award, the NFLPA’s annual award for on and off the field dedication.

The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award will be announced in New York, the site of Super Bowl XLVIII, during a primetime awards special to air nationally on Feb. 1 8-10 p.m. on FOX. The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award will receive the Gladiator statue, an original art creation by the noted sculptor, Daniel Schwartz. In addition, the player’s favorite charity will receive an additional $20,000 donation in his name.

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