Buffalo Bills Nominate Dion Dawkins for Walter Payton Man Of The Year Award

Since joining the team as a rookie in 2017, Dawkins has bee one of the Bills most impactful players, both on the field and in the community.

Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins has been chosen as the team’s nominee for the 2022 Walter Payton Many of the Year Award, the NFL announced Tuesday.

Considered one of the league's most prestigious honors, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide (named for the late Chicago Bears legendary running back) recognizes players for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field.

Since joining the team as a rookie in 2017, Dawkins has embodied the spirit, work ethic and determination of his team, organization and community.

"Dion as a player is one of the better tackles in the National Football League," head coach Sean McDermott told BuffaloBills.com of Dawkins on Tuesday. "He combines size and athleticism and power to make him a formidable left tackle for the Buffalo Bills, and he's done that for a number of years now."

Dawkins has been a mainstay at left tackle since being selected in the second round (63rd overall) in the 2017 draft. Amazingly durable, he has appeared in 91 of a possible 92 games (making 85 starts) during his tenure in Buffalo. Dawkins had not missed a pro game until Week 13 of the 2022 season, when a high ankle sprain forced him to miss Buffalo’s 24-10 victory over the New England Patriots last Thursday.

In addition to his performance on the field, Dawkins is a true MVP when it comes to civic involvement.

Dawkins founded the Dion's Dreamers Foundation to provide mentorship and support to young men and women in underserved communities, as well as those in a place of mental, physical, and financial hardship. Between hosting events through his Foundation's efforts, and participating in Buffalo Bills and NFL initiatives, Dawkins continues to prioritize his community involvement throughout various neighborhoods in Buffalo.

In the aftermath of the tragic mass shooting at the Tops Market in East Buffalo on May 14th, 2022, Dawkins and his teammates were quick to help the city recover by supporting the affected families and the East Buffalo community. The 28-year-old spread both his love and generosity by hosting a cornhole and kickball tournament, which raised over $20,000 for the victims which was donated to the Buffalo 5/14 Survivors Fund and the Buffalo Together Community Response Fund.

As a part of the NFL's Inspire Change Campaign, Dawkins dedicated his efforts for 2022 to hosting a roundtable discussion with teammates and Buffalo Bills legends around racial injustice, how to prevent tragedy from repeating itself, and Buffalo's mass shooting.

The product of Temple University is a regular at community events, sporting a near-perfect record for "Bills Community Tuesdays." In his six seasons with the Bills, Dawkins has positively impacted the lives of many in need through Thanksgiving food giveaways, the first High School Girls Flag Football Kickoff Event in Western New York, virtual visits with patients at John R. Oishei Children's Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Outreach Day at the Matt Urban Human Services Center, the Lights On! Pep Rally at East Buffalo High School, his "Touchdowns for Dreamers" Campaign, among many others.

"As a person, just to watch Dion grow as a person, grow in terms of who he is outside of our building in the community, in the initiatives he helps lead, I think goes a long way for our football team and those teammates around him to do the same thing," McDermott said.

Dawkins is among the 32 individual players nominated by each team for consideration for receipt of the esteemed award. The winner will be announced at NFL Honors during the week of Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, AZ.

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Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL

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