Breakthrough T1D Ambassador Orlando Brown, Jr., offensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals, has been nominated for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, presented by Nationwide, in recognition of his work with the type 1 diabetes (T1D) and Breakthrough T1D communities.
The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award is the league’s most prestigious honor. It recognizes players who excel on the field and demonstrate a steadfast commitment to creating a positive impact beyond the game.
“Orlando Brown, Jr. truly represents the spirit of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award through his unwavering dedication to raising awareness and advocating for the type 1 diabetes community,” said Pam Morrisroe, Breakthrough T1D Chief Marketing Officer. “His voice, along with his family’s journey with T1D, has become a powerful force in driving education about T1D, promoting early detection, and emphasizing the importance of finding community and improving access to essential resources and management tools for T1D.”
Charity Challenge
Fans are encouraged to get involved in Nationwide’s annual Charity Challenge, a social media and online content that allows fans to show support for their favorite Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee.
Vote on X/Twitter by posting #WPMOYChallenge along with the last name/X handle of your chosen nominee or by voting online directly.
Voting takes place from Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, to Sunday, Jan. 6, 2025.
The nominee who receives the most collective hashtag mentions and online votes will win an additional $35,000 donation from Nationwide to the charity of their choice. The runner-up will receive $10,000, and the third-place winner will receive $5,000.
The winner will be announced during NFL Honors, a national primetime awards special on FOX and the NFL Network on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.
Vote now for Orlando Brown, Jr.
A vote for Orlando Brown, Jr. is a vote for Breakthrough T1D!
Voting takes place from Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, to Sunday, Jan. 6, 2025.
A hero on and off the field
Orlando Brown, Jr.’s commitment to type 1 diabetes advocacy stems from his family’s journey with the disease. It began with his grandmother’s diagnosis of T1D, followed by the devastating loss of his father, NFL player Orlando Brown, Sr., to diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious diabetes complication. His younger brother’s T1D diagnosis at just 11 years old fueled Orlando’s determination to advocate for more research, more education, and broader access to diabetes technologies and therapies that make life easier and safer for the more than 1.6 million Americans living with T1D.
Brown served as a Celebrity Role Model at Breakthrough T1D’s 2023 Children’s Congress, where children living with T1D meet face-to-face with some of the top decision-makers in the U.S. Government to advocate for investment in T1D research.
Brown has hosted several community events at the Bengals’ Paycor Stadium and other Cincinnati locations, where he auctioned off items and memorabilia to benefit T1D diabetes research. He was a guest speaker at this year’s National Underground Railroad Freedom Center’s Juneteenth Jubilee, emphasizing the importance of improving access to T1D educational resources, diabetes management devices, and affordable insulin in Black communities. Brown also chose Breakthrough T1D as his My Cause, My Cleats charity in 2023 and 2024.
Brown is grateful to use his platform to increase awareness and access to the life-changing treatments and technologies made available through Breakthrough T1D-funded research.
“Knowledge is power, and I’m sharing my family’s story to educate and inspire others who are living with type 1 diabetes,” he said.
