Anthony Walker Jr., Monsignor Edward Pace High School Class of ‘13 where he was a National Honor Society member, was nominated by the Cleveland Browns as one of 32 contenders for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.
Each NFL team nominates a player who is an exceptional athlete on the field and a humanitarian off it for teh award, considered one of the most prestigious the league offers.
Walker Jr. is a linebacker who graduated Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business management.
He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in 2017 and joined the Browns in 2022. He has recorded more than 500 tackles in his NFL career.
In northeast Ohio, he volunteers at community events, and focuses on the team’s community goals: youth football, education and social justice.
He is the team foundation’s ambassador in its Stay in the Game! program to fight truancy and appears in videos with that message.
He hosted a back-to-school event and provided supplies for 100 kids, and hosted a Turkey Bowl Classic flag football game for students with good attendance who also enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner.
Walker Jr. said in a media release that he was “humbled” by the nomination.
He also thanked his father, Anthony Walker, Sr., Pace’s dean of students and head football coach who “really shaped me into the man that I am.”
The winner will be announced Feb. 8 on WCBS-Ch. 4.