WR Jarvis Landry named Cleveland Browns 2019 Walter Payton Man of the Year, presented by Nationwide (12.12.19)
For Immediate Release
Dec. 12, 2019
BEREA, Ohio – WR Jarvis Landry has been named the Cleveland Browns 2019 Walter Payton Man of the Year, presented by Nationwide, as one of the NFL’s best players for his performance on the field and his dedication to the community.
“While we greatly respect all of our players’ work in the community, Jarvis is truly deserving of this award as he has been a strong leader both on and off the field since coming to Cleveland,” said Dee and Jimmy Haslam. “We are proud that Jarvis is able to represent the Browns as our Walter Payton Man of the Year as he has made a significant impact in many important areas for our team, including through his commitment to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and youth football initiatives.”
“Jarvis brings such a great passion and energy to everything he does, and that has allowed him to not only be exceptional as a football player but also as a leader and as a man,” said General Manager John Dorsey. “Like the great Walter Payton, he is reliable and consistently inspires others to be their best, which is why it is fitting for him to receive this special honor.”
Dee and Jimmy Haslam, as well as Executive Vice President J.W. Johnson, will formally present the award to Landry prior to the Browns’ final regular season home game against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 22.
Since joining Cleveland following a trade with Miami in 2018, Landry has led Browns WRs with 150 catches, 1,971 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns. He led the team with 81 receptions for 976 yards in 2018 and currently paces Cleveland with 69 receptions, five TD catches and 995 yards, placing him well on track to become the Browns’ first 1,000-yard receiver since 2016. Additionally, his receiving yards total is the fourth highest by a Brown through the team’s first 13 games of a season while his 69 receptions are tied for sixth most.
Landry, who earned Pro Bowl honors the past four years, has recorded the most receptions all-time through an NFL player’s first six seasons (550) and has posted at least two catches in 92 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the league. This season, he also became one of only three NFL players to reach 500 career catches in 85 games or fewer, joining Anquan Boldin and Antonio Brown.
A committed team leader who is highly respected among his teammates and NFL peers, Landry is committed to impacting those in need both in Cleveland and in his home state of Louisiana, including a passion for fighting Cystic Fibrosis. One of his close high school friends had CF (NFL.com feature) and ultimately lost her battle with it in 2015, resulting in Landry closely seeing and understanding the effects of the disease. In addition to consistently supporting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation during the league’s My Cause, My Cleats initiative, he has regularly hosted significant fundraisers in Miami and Cleveland to raise money and awareness for CF.
This year, he was a co-chair and emcee for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s Taste of the Browns, which raised more than $350,000 and the equivalent of 1.4 million meals for Northeast Ohio families in need.
Supporting local youth football efforts, he has recently represented the Browns in celebrating the installment of high-quality synthetic turf fields at both Lorain High School and Boys Hope-Girls Hope of Northeastern Ohio, as well as helping surprise Berea Midpark High School this past offseason with $25,000 of new helmets through the Browns’ HEMLETS program. This past summer, he also hosted the Fifth Annual Jarvis Landry Giveback Event at his alma mater, Lutcher High School, where nearly 150 youth were experienced a day of football, private workout sessions, inspirational messages and mentorship opportunities. Each participating student received new school supplies for the upcoming school year, while one deserving senior received a $5,000 scholarship from Landry.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Nationwide’s Fifth Annual Charity Challenge, a social media campaign designed to support and promote team nominees. Fans can vote for Landry on Twitter by using #WPMOYChallengeLandry. The player whose unique hashtag is used the most from Dec. 12-Jan. 12 will receive a $25,000 contribution to their charity of choice, while the second and third place finishers will receive $10,000 and $5,000 donations, respectively, all courtesy of Nationwide. Hashtag information and official rules can be found at nfl.com/manoftheyear.
“Nationwide congratulates this year’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominees,” said Nationwide’s Chief Marketing Officer Ramon Jones. “Year after year, we’re amazed at the amount of time, talent and resources the NFL players give to their communities. This year’s best of the best from each team – these 32 men – recognized a need, took action and energized those around them to do more. It’s our privilege to help share their stories about making positive differences for others.”
The Man of the Year award has been given annually since 1970.
More information about the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award can be found at nfl.com/manoftheyear.
Cleveland Browns Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominees since 1999:
1999 OG Jim Pyne
2000 LB Jamir Miller
2001 LB Wali Rainer
2002 RB Jamel White
2003 QB Kelly Holcomb
2004 DE Kenard Lang
2005 QB Trent Dilfer
2006 QB Charlie Frye
2007 WR Braylon Edwards
2008 K Phil Dawson
2009 WR Mike Furrey*
2010 OL Joe Thomas
2011 WR Joshua Cribbs
2012 OL Joe Thomas*
2013 LB Jabaal Sheard
2014 LB Craig Robertson
2015 TE Gary Barnidge
2016 OL Joe Thomas
2017 TE Randall Telfer
2018 LB Christian Kirksey
2019 WR Jarvis Landry
*Denotes NFL finalist
About the Cleveland Browns and Browns Give Back:
The Browns Give Back to Northeast Ohio with a commitment to education and youth football while engaging the community through the team’s signature First and Ten volunteer movement. For more information, visit www.clevelandbrowns.com/brownsgiveback.
Education – The Cleveland Browns are dedicated to improving the quality of education for students in Northeast Ohio by making investments that keep kids in school every day so they can succeed. The team engages local schools and promotes education in various capacities throughout the year to help identify and remove attendance barriers and support engagement opportunities for students to thrive by monitoring attendance patterns to help understand how best to support students and schools.
Youth Football – The Cleveland Browns are committed to assisting the development, safety and growth of youth and high school football throughout Northeast Ohio with year-round programming for players, coaches, officials and parents. Through camps, clinics and other initiatives, the Browns’ goal is to promote healthy, social, emotional, intellectual and physical development of youth by enhancing opportunities for youth football participation and education.
First and Ten – Launched in June 2014, the Cleveland Browns First and Ten campaign is the team’s community program, established to inspire fans to #give10 and help their communities by volunteering for 10 hours each year. Through First and Ten, the Browns are the only NFL club to promote a long-term volunteering program that unifies the team and its entire fan base, with the goal of impacting every individual’s city across the globe, as well as the franchise’s local community. To date, nearly two million hours of volunteering have been pledged through First and Ten. All Browns fans are encouraged to join the volunteering effort by signing the First and Ten pledge on the team’s website and by sharing their stories with #give10.
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