Kansas City Chiefs superstar tight end Travis Kelce was listed among the 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominees on December 5.
“Travis Kelce is the Chiefs nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award,” FOX 4 KC’s Harold Kuntz reported just after the NFL posted the list on X. “The NFL’s most revered honor, the Award honors players for the positive impact they make in the community.”
Kelce has accomplished so much throughout his illustrious career, but this is one honor that he has yet to achieve — and he’s not alone. The last Chief to win the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award was offensive guard Brian Waters in 2009, according to Pro Football Reference.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes II has often been nominated for this honor since entering the league, but even he has yet to win it. Kelce was also nominated for this award once before in 2020.
Kelce’s foundation is named Eighty-Seven and Running, and their mission statement aims to “empower disadvantaged youths to achieve success by providing resources and support to their communities and cultivating their talent in the areas of education, business, athletics, STEM, and the arts.”
His foundation also “seeks to change the outcomes of underserved youth in communities across the U.S. by creating access to opportunities, enrichment, and advancement.”
“As a kid I was mindful of how life looked different for everyone, but as a man I am profoundly aware of the difference in opportunity, exposure, and privilege I grew up with compared to others,” Kelce states on his foundation’s homepage. “Where you live, the situation you were born into or the color of your skin should have no impact on the dreams you can dream. And it’s a beautiful thing when a kid’s dream comes true.”
Chiefs’ Travis Kelce Addresses Walter Payton Man of the Year Nomination
The Chiefs published a press release on Kelce’s nomination on December 5. Within it, Kelce spoke on receiving this high honor.
I’m truly honored to be nominated as the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. This organization and this city mean so much to me and to have the Chiefs nominate me again is special. Growing up in Cleveland Heights with supportive family and friends, I know the power of having people in your corner. It’s been incredible to be able to work towards providing that same support and inspiration to kids through Eighty-Seven & Running and our work with Operation Breakthrough and the Ignition Lab. To see the inaugural class from the Ignition Lab getting ready to graduate is so special and something that I’ll cherish forever. I know how valuable hope and purpose is in those high school years, and these kids have really seized the opportunity. Being able to give back to the community here in Kansas City as well as show love to my hometown is not something I’ll ever take for granted. I’m forever grateful to represent Kansas City, the Hunt family, our fans and my foundation, and it’s an honor to be nominated.
Chiefs Highlight Travis Kelce’s Work With Eighty-Seven & Running
The Chiefs also highlighted the work of Kelce’s foundation within the press release.
“Since establishing his foundation, Eighty-Seven & Running, in 2015, Kelce has grown his contributions both in scope and financial contributions,” the organization detailed. “In 2020, Kelce was recognized for his diligent efforts to support Kansas City youth with his first Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination.”
Later, they talked more about “Operation Breakthrough” and the “Ignition Lab” — two things Kelce referenced above.
“Kelce has continued his dedication to the youth of Kansas City throughout his 12-year career, partnering with Operation Breakthrough, an after-school program diligently working to provide support and extracurricular opportunities to some of the most impoverished community members of Kansas City,” the Chiefs explained. “Through the COVID-19 pandemic, Kelce was an avid supporter of Operation Breakthrough, helping to keep their doors open through a tumultuous economic time and generating thousands of meals for Operation Breakthrough’s food-insecure population.”
Continuing: “In 2020, Kelce purchased an abandoned muffler shop with the vision of turning the space into the ‘Ignition Lab’ – a safe, after-school program for inner-city students to gain real-world, tangible experience and life skills and ignite their passions as an extension of Operation Breakthrough. This year, the inaugural class of the Ignition Lab is set to graduate high school, bolstered with work experience, internships, industry skills and support. Since its inception in 2020, the Ignition Lab has grown the number of students served by 350%.”
Per the Chiefs, students of Kelce’s Ignition Lab have already “launched three entrepreneurial businesses, including a food truck, a hydroponic farm and a digital media studio.”
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