Man of the Year nomination ‘means everything’ to…

Jones has also taken advantage of the NFL’s “My Cause, My Cleats” promotion with an emphasis on pediatric cancer. That led him to a partnership with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer, dedicated to changing children’s lives through impactful research, raising awareness and supporting families to help cure pediatric cancer.

The foundation ran a contest last year, asking children to submit their designs for Jones’ cleats. The winner was 12-year-old Ethan Haley, of Rochester N.Y., who was diagnosed in 2018 with anaplastic ependymoma, causing multiple tumors to grow on his brain and spinal cord.

While wearing Ethan’s design on his cleats, Jones ran for a 77-yard touchdown – the longest of his career – in a 30-16 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 6, 2020. Sadly, Ethan passed away just one week later.

Jones is once again partnering with Alex’s Lemonade Stand and will wear specially designed cleats during Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.

“He was right there and running down the field with me,” Jones said. “It’s bigger than football sometimes. It’s who you bring with you and that’s what I believe in. I’m happy to be part of that with them again this year.”

For the fourth year in a row, all 32 team winners will be highlighted as nominees and recognized for their important work during the week leading up to Super Bowl LVI. The 2021 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year will be announced during NFL Honors, a primetime awards special to air nationally the week of Super Bowl LVI on ABC.

All 32 nominees will receive 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 a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice.

“I’ll be happy one day when I can help a kid and sit back and see them playing on TV or being a doctor … and take that moral victory like, ‘Yeah, I helped this kid get to where he’s at,'” Jones said. “Not looking for anything in return but just know you made an impact in someone’s life and possibly changed their lives forever or their family’s lives forever.”

The Packers’ previous Walter Payton Man of the Year nominees include center Corey Linsley (2020), linebacker Blake Martinez (2019), defensive tackle Kenny Clark (2018), linebacker Clay Matthews (2017), linebacker Jayrone Elliott (2016), linebacker Sam Barrington (2015) and quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was a league finalist in 2014.

It’s meaningful for Jones just to have his name added to that illustrious list. To win it? That would mean everything to him and his father’s enduring legacy.

“It’s something me and my father talked about before, winning this award,” Jones said. “I’m just going to do the best that I can to win it and I know he’ll be smiling down.”