Joel Bitonio honored as Cleveland Browns' Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year

The Browns announced Tuesday morning that All-Pro left guard Joel Bitonio will be their honoree for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year.

Each of the league's 32 teams honor one player on their team for both their work on and off the field. One player being recognized as the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, which has been handed out annually since 1970 and named for the late Chicago Bears Hall of Famer in 1999, during the NFL Honors award show on the Thursday prior to Super Bowl LVII.

Bitonio will be recognized prior to the Browns' Dec. 17 home game against the Baltimore Ravens. He will also wear Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of the season in recognition of the honor.

“The honor of being the Walter Payton Man of the Year for the Cleveland Browns is pretty surreal,” Bitonio said in a statement. “You see guys like (former Browns tackle) Joe Thomas who have won the award before and you see across the NFL guys like (former Saints quarterback) Drew Brees, (Cardinals defensive end) J.J. Watt and people who did things on very grand scales and have been great role models for their team and their community. To be named the Man of the Year for me is pretty special.

“I have been part of the Cleveland community for nine years now. [Giving back] is just something that my mom and my dad instilled in me to take care of the people that take care of you. This community has always taken care of me. No matter where you are in life, you can lend a helping hand, be part of the community and give back, and a lot of times, you give back to help somebody, but those interactions fill you up, as well.

“I look back on my upbringing and the coaches and the people who have been part of my life growing up, and I think it is just a cumulative, ‘Thank you.’ I appreciate it, and let’s see what else we can do to help the community.”

Bitonio will receive up to a $40,000 donation in their name to their charity of choice. The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award will receive up to a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.

A second-round pick (No. 35 overall) in the 2014 draft, Bitonio is the longest-tenured Browns player on the roster. He has been an Associated Press All-Pro selection the last four seasons, including a first-team selection last season, and has been chosen to four consecutive Pro Bowls.

“While the entire NFL and Browns fans have watched Joel excel on the field for the past nine seasons, we have been extremely fortunate to see first-hand his contributions to our team and Northeast Ohio as an incredibly high-character man, teammate and leader,” Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement. “The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is truly special because it recognizes a player’s passion and dedication to the game and community service, and Joel consistently embodies what this honor represents in every way.”

Bitonio and his wife Courtney are major advocates for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. In addition to regularly donating their time and money to the organization, for the past two years, Bitonio has served as a co-chair of “Taste of the Browns,” the group’s largest fundraiser, along with other donations of time and money through his career in Cleveland.

Among Bitonio's other community activities include Shop with a Pro, in which he has funded for youth in Northeast Ohio each of the past five seasons. Others include the Stay in the Game! Get to School, Every Day Network; participating in Cleveland Browns Adapted Football League sessions; serving as a member of the Browns social justice committee leadership council; and making multiple visits to children at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital and individuals receiving treatment at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center.

On Sunday, Bitonio supported A Kid Again Ohio through the NFL's My Cause, My Cleats program with special cleats he wore during the Browns' win at the Houston Texans. A Kid Again Northern Ohio aims to foster hope, happiness, and healing for children with life-threatening conditions and their families.

"You know, it's something I just actually started working on this offseason," Bitonio said of A Kid Again during training camp. "I got put together with them and it's kids [with] terminal conditions, so it's tough conditions. But they do adventures for the whole family. So when a kid’s going through something like that, the parents, the brothers and sisters, the cousins and stuff go through it too. It's tough situation. But they work together on these adventures. They have all types of little events throughout the year.  I just thought the Browns at football practice and seeing some of the guys would be pretty cool, so a bunch of the families are going to come out here and hopefully some of the players will be able to stop by and say hi and take some pictures."

Fans are encouraged to participate in Nationwide's 8th Annual Charity Challenge, a social media campaign designed to support and promote team nominees. Fans can vote on Twitter by using #WPMOYChallenge  followed by their favorite nominee's last name or Twitter handle (#WPMOYChallengeBitonio or #WPMOYChallenge @JoelBitonio). The player whose unique mention is used the most between Tuesday and Jan. 8 will receive a $25,000 contribution to his charity of choice, while the second- and third-place finishers will receive $10,000 and $5,000 donations, all courtesy of Nationwide. Hashtag information and official rules 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

2020 DE Myles Garrett

2021 CB Denzel Ward

2022 G Joel Bitonio

*Denotes national NFL finalist prior to 2018; previously the pool of 32 nominees was decreased to approximately three individuals before the winner was ultimately selected; in recent years, all honorees have been recognized as finalists

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Joel Bitonio chosen Browns' Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year honoree