The Pittsburgh Steelers announced linebacker Alex Highsmith as their nominee for the 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year award on Thursday.
“Alex Highsmith is the Steelers Club Winner for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, presented by @Nationwide!” the Steelers official account posted on X.
The rest of the NFL revealed their nominees for the hardware as well, which will be presented during the NFL Honors ceremony on Feb. 5.
“Through the Alex Highsmith Family Foundation, he has opened his arms and his heart to three places that are important to him, including Pittsburgh, his hometown of Wilmington, N.C., and Charlotte, N.C., where he played college football. He uses his work in his foundation to empower the next generation through fitness, education and community,” Steelers.com writer Teresa Varley wrote on Thursday morning.
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The 2020 third-round pick has spent his entire career with Pittsburgh.
“I am so humbled, honored, and grateful to be the Steelers’ nominee for this year’s Walter Payton Man of The Year,” Highsmith said, per Varley. “I truly believe that God has given me this platform to be a blessing to others, especially in the communities that I love. Walter Payton is one of the best football players of all time, but his true impact and legacy is felt today through the way he lifted up his community. I’m grateful to be able to make an impact off the field like he did.”
According to Varley’s report, Highsmith has “established multiple programs that he has done on a yearly basis, as well as other events he continually develops and gets on board with.”
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Among those are the annual Alex Highsmith Youth Football Camp “helps over 100 young athletes develop the skills and knowledge they need to excel on the field and in life,” as well as the annual Back to School Bash. That event helps “hundreds of kids yearly with school supplies and resources in all of the areas where he has a history.”
On the field, the 28-year-old has had another big season, entering Week 14 with 30 tackles, 10 quarterback hits and 5.5 sacks across eight games.
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Featured image via Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images