As a night of fundraising for his Nigerian American Football Foundation wound down at his New Jersey home in the middle of October, Bobby Okereke posed for a photo op in front of his family and benefactors. Vice President of Community and Corporate Relations Allison Stangeby and Ethan Medley, Director of Community Relations and Youth Football, handed a helmet to the linebacker for the cameras.

The back of the helmet had his usual decals of the green dot, American flag, Nigerian flag, and his number 58. But something new had been applied, a bronze silhouette of a football player in a sideline cape.

Then it clicked.

The three-time team captain would be wearing it for the rest of the season as the Giants' club winner for the 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

"When they surprised me with it, it was just extreme appreciation," Okereke said. "And it was gratitude from my whole family and from myself towards the whole Giants organization for everything they've done for me since I've been here."

The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award recognizes players for excellence on and off the field. The award was established in 1970 and renamed in 1999 after the late Hall of Fame running back, Walter Payton.

Each team honors one player who has had a significant positive impact on his community, with one winner selected from the 32 nominees.

The winner of the award each year receives up to a $265,000 donation to the charity of his choice, while all 32 club winners receive up to a $55,000 donation.

The winner of this year's Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award will be announced live at "NFL Honors" on Feb. 6.

Last year, wide receiver Darius Slayton was the Giants' club winner. Jaguars defensive end Arik Armstead went on to win the NFL award.

Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning is the only Giants player ever to receive the award, which was first given to Johnny Unitas in 1970.

"It meant a lot," Okereke said. "[My family was] pretty emotional just thinking about when I started playing football in high school, back to my Boy Scout days and choir and everything. I just think it was a proud moment for them seeing me grow up and become the young man I've become.

"Since I've been a player in this league, I've always heard it's one of the most prestigious awards because of the community service aspect. We've all heard the quote: 'To whom much is given, much is expected.' That's how I've tried to live my life. That's how my parents raised me. So, to be recognized for this award is a testament to them, a testament to all the hard work and my teammates supporting me, and how the Giants organization has uplifted me since I've been here."

Being a first-generation Nigerian American has shaped Okereke's life. His parents, Kingsley and Sandra Okereke, immigrated to California, where Bobby and his three sisters grew up. They were instilled with discipline and an emphasis on education, which Bobby took all the way to Stanford and where he is today.

"They embody that American dream, understanding that it doesn't matter where you came from," Okereke said of his parents. "It doesn't matter what your humble beginnings were or are. This is the land of opportunity, and in the United States, you can work hard and create a great life for yourself. It's been amazing to see that come to fruition through my parents and through my siblings and my family."

In 2024, Okereke was introduced to the power and potential of NFL Africa, as he and fellow teammate Kayvon Thibodeaux left directly from minicamp to fly to Lagos, Nigeria, at the invitation of Giants legend Osi Umenyiora.

They hosted a three-day football talent identification camp in addition to NFL Flag Football activities across five days, sharing the league's commitment to developing more ways to serve athletes and fans in the country. Twenty-one prospects from 10 countries across Africa took part in the NFL Combine-style football camp to showcase their skills, as they competed for invites to join the NFL Academy or the International Player Pathway Program.

This year, Okereke took on a leadership position as general manager of Team Nigeria's Men's and Women's National Flag Football Teams. In this role, Okereke's goal is to build a sustainable pipeline of athletic and leadership talent, one that will ultimately culminate in the nation's participation in the 2028 Olympic Flag Football Games.

The initiative reflects Okereke's deep belief in the unifying and transformative power of sports, not only as competition but as a vehicle for education, opportunity, and social change. In order to raise funds and strengthen Nigeria's presence on the global flag football stage, Okereke recently created the Nigerian American Football Foundation.

Okereke is also committed locally.

He took his contributions in the community to unprecedented levels in 2025, making it his goal to visit every single one of the 16 Boys and Girls Clubs of New Jersey.

"I was a Boy Scout growing up, so these youth development organizations are very near and dear to my heart," said Okereke, who earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2013. "Then the work I've done through my marketing agent, Theresa Reed, her husband Andre Reed, the Bills Hall of Famer, they've done a lot of great work with the Boys and Girls Club. Andre Reed was a Boys and Girls Club kid himself. The more I could do to support and immerse myself in this New Jersey community, I just felt called to do so."

Each year, nominees are recognized beginning in Week 14 with a Man of the Year trophy silhouette helmet decal applied through the end of the season. In addition, all current players who have received this esteemed award are honored with a patch on the front of their jerseys.

It is a tradition that began in 2017 and one that Giants quarterback Russell Wilson wears proudly to this day.

"Such a blessing, that's forever on your jersey," said Wilson, who won the award in 2020 with the Seahawks. "It's one of my greatest honors. My dad loved Walter Payton, so that's always meant the world to me because he meant the world to my dad. Just to be able to do that, it's pretty significant. I remember my dad telling me, 'Maybe one day you could win this.' Sure enough, it's pretty cool."

Wilson's trophy case includes 10 Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl ring, but Man of the Year is near the top.

"It's the most prestigious award, in my opinion, in the NFL," he said. "Obviously winning the Lombardi is one of them, but just like it takes a team and a village to win the Lombardi, it takes a team and a village to be able to be honored and win a Man of the Year Award. I've been fortunate to be blessed to be around so many amazing people and just be able to give back so much. With our Why Not You Foundation, it has been an amazing journey and what we've been able to build."

Like Wilson, Okereke was voted a Giants team captain before playing a live game with his teammates.

"I think the most important part is every time you walk into the stadium and every time you walk into a building or a room or space, do you change their space? I think Bobby Okereke does that in a great way," said Wilson. "He's the light of a room in every room he goes into, every space. He's a guy that is obviously extremely smart going to Stanford and the impact that he's had over the game and how he plays the game. He's a tremendous leader and captain, but he's a great friend, too. He's a great representative of the New York Giants."