Broncos Safety Justin Simmons Named Team's Walter Payton Man Of The Year Nominee For Second Consecutive Year

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4)- Broncos safety Justin Simmons continues to gain honors for the work he does off the field.
Simmons is the Broncos' 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee for the second consecutive year.

He joins Wesley Woodyard (2010-11, '13), Champ Bailey (2008-09), and Rod Smith (2004, '06) as the fourth Bronco to be nominated for the award twice. The award recognizes a player for outstanding leadership both on the field and in the community.

"This award is the most prestigious award in my opinion in the NFL," Simmons said. "All-pro, Pro Bowls, all the things that come with what you're chasing after as an NFL player, this award means the most to me personally."

The five-year pro launched the Justin Simmons Foundation, while also focusing his efforts on COVID relief and social justice initiatives. He also has worked with the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver, Children's Hospital Colorado, the Denver Rescue Mission, and many more working on youth development, ending hunger, and overall health and wellness.

"To be recognized, like I said, you don't do it for the accolades or anything like that—but to be recognized as a nomination of someone at the stature of Walter Payton, it just goes above and beyond and I'm just truly humbled once again by the nomination," he said.

Simmons is also a two-time winner of the Broncos Community Ambassador Award (2017-18), a two-time winner of the Darrent Williams Good Guy Award (2017, 2019), and was named a second-team All-Pro in 2019.

"Obviously, all the work he does out in the community, not only a large amount of it, but heart felt and for good causes. He seems to always have time to help people. The award is very deserving and hopefully he gets the national award, the one out of the 32, but being nominated as our guy two years in a row I think is a great honor for Justin," Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said.

The 2020 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year will be announced during NFL Honors, which will air on CBS the week of Super Bowl LV. Each nominee will receive a $40,000 donation in their name to their chosen charity, while the winner will receive a $250,000 donation to the charity of their choice.

Previous Broncos nominees include Von Miller (2018), Chris Harris Jr. (2017), Virgil Green (2016), David Bruton Jr. (2015), and Ben Garland (2014). John Elway is the only Bronco to win the award, in 1992.