Andrew Whitworth named the Los Angeles Rams a nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, presented by Nationwide

As the only starting player in the NFL at age 40, Andrew Whitworth continues to admire the NFL community for his game on the field and his unique ability to inspire teammates and others to address issues that plague underserved Los Angeles communities. Since joining the Rams in 2017, Whitworth has been a leader in and off the field and has been active in a variety of community endeavors.

Most recently, Whitworth launched its Big Whit Homes for LA Families program early in the 2021 season, pledging to donate $ 20,000 after each home game to repair homes in his home state of Louisiana and move Angelenos to affordable homes in the face of housing insecurity. In Los Angeles, Whitworth works with nonprofits to help individuals pay rent and groceries, make down payments on homes, and furnish homes. Due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Ida in the state of Louisiana, Whitworth has teamed up with Rebuilding Together to carry out basic repairs on homes damaged by the natural disaster and bring them back to a habitable state.

Earlier this year, Whitworth hosted more than 30 military veterans with Merging Vets and Players in a suite for a Rams home game at SoFi, and co-hosted the team’s annual Rams’ Night for Wishes, which will benefit the Make-A-Wish came foundation for the fourth straight season. For the holidays this year, Whitworth is building an apartment for a mother and three children who are in the process of moving from a homeless shelter to permanent shelter.

“I never forget the moments I spent in the community and I have appreciated the Rams and their work, to be my partner, to make a difference to people who deserve our support. For me, one of the longest lasting things we can do and one of the biggest impact we can have is not only winning football games, but also in the communities we live in. That’s how you create a culture that spreads outside of your building, “said Whitworth.” Sport is generally about support. I see it as a father and I am there to support and watch them, just as a community is there to support and watch us each week. My way of showing that support back is to make sure I’m in the community and helping people so they can take the next step they want to take in their lives, just as I have been supported throughout my career in the NFL , but I am very grateful for the opportunity to influence life. “

“Ever since Andrew became a Los Angeles Ram, Andrew has established himself as a cornerstone of our organization through his unmatched leadership, dedication to service, and ability to inspire others to be the best of himself,” said Rams Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Demoff. “We’re grateful to have leaders like Andrew who has amazed us with his timeless talent in the field and his commitment to improving the lives of so many people in our city and beyond.”

In the wake of the turmoil that ravaged the nation following the death of George Floyd, Whitworth urged teammates to donate to social justice charities and promised to double all donations. As part of this effort, Whitworth contributed more than $ 215,000 to the Gamblers Social Justice Fund in 2020 alone and supported 25 Los Angeles nonprofits promoting educational inequalities, community-police relations, mentoring programs, prison reform / Use the fight against relapse, youth justice, human resource development, financial literacy, food insecurity and homelessness.

At the height of the pandemic in March 2020, Whitworth also donated $ 250,000 to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to launch the team’s virtual Te’LA’thon for Los Angeles and support COVID-19 response efforts. Whitworth’s contribution funded a total of 1 million meals distributed to needy Angelenos.

Whitworth has also funded Big Whit STEAM Labs in an elementary and middle school to bridge the technology gap for low-income students and provide them with advancement opportunities. For the past four years, he has recruited teammates to join him for Rams Night for Wishes to help Make-A-Wish raise more than $ 875,000 to fulfill wishes for children facing life-threatening ones Fight diseases.

For last year’s holidays, Whitworth and his family bought wish lists for 53 families living in crisis motels and shelters. The Whitworths bought gifts for nearly 100 children and provided a $ 500 Albertsons / Vons / Pavilions gift card to each of the 53 families, along with individually wrapped holiday meals.