Boldin named Walter Payton Man of the Year; Saints’ Benjamin Watson also a finalists

Anquan Boldin, wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year by the NFL.

It was the second straight year Boldin was nominated for the award.

Also nominated was Benjamin Watson, tight end for the New Orleans Saints and Northwestern High School graduate and Eli Manning, quarterback for the New York Giants.

Each team nominated one player for the award. In it’s nomination the San Francisco 49er’s said that Boldin was a “prime example of what an NFL wide receiver should strive to become both on and off the field.”

In accepting the award Boldin said, he saw his purpose in creating “opportunities for people to live out their dreams.”

The Anquan Boldin Foundation was formed in 2004 to provide educational and life opportunities to underprivileged youth. Other charitable efforts include an eight-week Summer Enrichment Program for students to prioritize and graduate on time; Thanksgiving food drives offering more than 300 meals annually; holiday shopping sprees offering more than $30,000 annually to youth in Baltimore, South Florida and San Francisco; and the most popular, Q-Festival Weekend.

According to his nomination, this past fall the Anquan Boldin Foundation distributed five $10,000 scholarships to high-school graduates in Florida and San Francisco. Anquan's Annual Q-Festival raises more than $100,000 annually, providing free entertainment to residents and participating fans.

Anquan has also been involved with Oxfam America since 2010, traveling to Ethiopia and Senegal and later testifying at the White House on behalf of Senegalese rights.

This story was originally published February 6, 2016 at 11:11 PM with the headline "Boldin named Walter Payton Man of the Year; Saints’ Benjamin Watson also a finalists."