Kansas State University Athletics

Man of the Year 22 SE

Pro Wildcats Leaving Impact On and Off the Field

Dec 08, 2022 | Football, Sports Extra

By: D. Scott Fritchen

Dalton Risner thought he was headed onto the field at Empower Field at Mile High for community service, to surprise some children and hand out T-shirts. Little did Risner know that he was in for the surprise.
 
Whitney, his wife, helped organize a video that splashed across the stadium videoboard to reveal that Dalton had been selected as the player to represent the Denver Broncos as the franchise's nominee for 2022 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. As the video played, family members and friends surprised Dalton on the field as well. An emotional time for sure, but a grand and well-deserved moment for a 27-year-old native of Wiggins, Colorado, who gives his heart both on and off the field.
 
"It's a huge honor," Risner said. "When you get awarded something like that, you're a representation of not only your organization but the NFL and there are so many amazing human beings in the NFL and good-hearted people, so to get that was a huge honor. It also showed me how much people saw me for who I am. I've never wanted to be seen as a football player. I work hard at my job and I love it, but I've always cared more about how people see me as a person. That's what hit home to me being the one chosen from the Broncos and representing the Broncos and the NFL.
 
"My goal is to show the world that you can be in the NFL and have the fame and fortune, per se, and still be good, and not forget where you came from, and about not forgetting that little kid who dreams of being in the NFL. The overarching goal and the importance of life is not to attain the microscope but to attain kindness and love to people around you. I want to be a replica of that." Just as Risner was selected as the Broncos' nominee for the 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, Tyler Lockett was also selected as the Seattle Seahawks' nominee on Tuesday.
 
The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award is presented annually by the NFL to honor a player's commitment to philanthropy and community impact, as well as his excellence on the field. Each year, a winner is selected from 32 nominees from 32 different teams. A panel of judges, which includes the NFL Commissioner, the previous year's winner, and a number of former players select the winner of the award. The Man of the Year winner receives a $250,000 donation in his name to a charity of his choice. The other 31 finalists also receive donations in their name of $50,000 each to charities of their choice.
 
Each nominee receives a $40,000 donation in their name to their charity of choice.
 
The 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year will be announced during NFL honors, a primetime awards special to air the Thursday before Super Bowl LVII, on NBC. K-State was one of just four FBS schools with multiple 2022 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominations, joining Clemson, Ohio State and Stanford.
 
Clemson was represented by Tyler Shatley (Jaguars) and Tremayne Anchrum (Rams), Ohio State was represented by Sam Hubbard (Bengals) and Cameron Heyward (Steelers), and Stanford was represented by Zach Ertz (Cardinals) and Solomon Thomas (NY Jets).
 
"I haven't had the privilege of really knowing Tyler, but I know he has an amazing heart for others and he has always seen the big picture," Risner said. "For us going to Kansas State, it's huge. We're able to show what a K-State football player is and be a replica of that. Tyler has done an amazing job of that in his career and that's what I aim to do as well. It makes me swell with pride to say I'm a K-State Wildcat because K-State gave this kid from Wiggins a chance.
 
"I love to honor K-State by not only doing the work I did there in college but by continuing to do so in the NFL. K-State teaches you about life. It's not all just football. I take a lot of pride in that."
 
As a nominee, Risner and Lockett will wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of the season in recognition of their accomplishments on and off the field.
 
This will be Lockett's second nomination for the award, which is considered one of the NFL's most prestigious honors.
 
"I'm the type of person who, I don't like showing my face, because I don't want everybody to be thanking me," Lockett told Seahawks.com. "I'd rather help from afar, so that way I don't have to worry about getting praised so much for doing things that I feel like should be second nature. But I think it's really cool to get nominated again. Just being able to understand going through that process, seeing the Man of the Year nominees, seeing the things we did in the community. You don't want to feel like you're doing it for an award, but it's cool that this is the award that says thank you for all the things you are doing." Lockett, a Tulsa native, selected seven students to receive $34,000 in scholarships for the 2021-22 academic year through his scholarship program, and recently launched a job shadow program, in which he hosted 12 Tulsa Public School students for a three-day job shadow with Virginia Mason Fransisan Health, Keller Williams Reality and the Seahawks. Each student received a $5,000 scholarship, according to Seahawks.com. Last year, his Light It Up Foundation donated more than $32,000 worth of clothing shoes and food to the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless, according to the team's website.
 
Among his off-field work, he also identified three Oklahoma organizations to receive $21,000 in Adidas uniforms and funding to support their sport. He partnered with the K-State Athletic Department to provide $10,000 to the football team to implement the Catapult Dada Tracking technology — a wearable technology that allows teams to track player distance traveled, explosive plays, and load.
 
"Eventually in life, you realize that you can make a difference, whether it's money, whether it's time, whether it's just words of encouragement or listening, you never really know what people need in order to make it through the day," Lockett told the team's website. "So it's pretty cool just to be able to be in those positions that God puts me in to make whatever difference I can, whether big or small."
 
Lockett was inducted into K-State's Ring of Honor this fall. A 2014 Consensus All-American, Lockett finished his K-State career as the all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Lockett was selected by the Seahawks in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
 
Last year, Lockett was honored with the Steve Largent Award, given to the player who best exemplifies the spirit, dedication and integrity of the Seahawks, according to Seahawks.com. He also earned the 2021 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, and this year was voted as a team captain for the first time in his career.
 
Lockett currently ranks fifth in the NFL in touchdown catches (seven), and ranks in the top 15 in both receiving yards (836) and receptions (66). Lockett and Hall-of-Famer Steve Largent are the only Seahawks to record three straight 1,000-yard seasons. His five consecutive games with a touchdown catch tied a franchise record last Sunday.
 
Lockett ranks second all-time in receiving touchdowns (52) and is third all-time in receptions (6,903) and in 100-yard games (18) in franchise history.
 
Risner was a First Team All-American in 2018 and a three-time First Team All-Big 12 selection in 2016, 2017 and 2018. He was selected by the Broncos in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Risner, starting left guard for 59 games in his career, was named the 2019 Broncos Community Rookie of the Year, earned the franchise's 2020 Community Impact Award, and was named a 2021 Broncos Community Ambassador. Through the RisnerUp Foundation and team-led opportunities, Risner participated in nearly 50 community events in 2022, according to DenverBroncos.com.
 
Among his off-field work, Risner serves as an Athlete Ambassador for A Precious Child, he spearheaded financial in-kind support for families impact by the Marshall Fire through a Fire Relief Auction, and presented a $5,000 donation from auction proceeds to Monarch High School, and another $5,000 donation to A Precious Child to support the nonprofit that provides children in need with opportunities and resources to empower them to reach their full potential, according to the team's website.
 
Risner also serves as an Honorary Board Member of Special Olympics Colorado, and continues to support Camp Kymel, an organization he supported while at K-State, which works to improve the health of children and adolescents with cancer through summer camp experiences.
 
Risner's impact began while he was playing at K-State. He founded his foundation, the RisnerUp Foundation, as a way to have a long-lasting impact in the communities in which he has lived and played.
 
"I give back not to get the award because I care about being good to people and care about being a follower of Jesus and caring about being an image bearer of Jesus," Risner said. "I want to show people love and kindness, no matter what position I'm in or what they're in from CEO to janitor — I want to be good to you."
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