HENDERSON, Nev. – The Las Vegas Raiders announced today Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby as the Silver and Black's nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide. The league's most prestigious honor, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide recognizes NFL players who excel on the field and demonstrate a passion for creating a lasting positive impact beyond the game. Each of the league's 32 nominees were announced today.

Crosby's performance on and off the gridiron serves as an example of what it means to be a Raider. He has consistently demonstrated a heartfelt dedication to making a positive impact on the community around him. As a nominee, Crosby will wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of the season in recognition of his accomplishments.

The heartbeat of the Raiders' defense, Crosby's relentless performance has continued in 2024 as he battled an early-season injury but remains the team's leader despite facing opponent's best efforts to neutralize the threat he poses to offenses around the league. Crosby enters Week 14 with a team-leading 7.5 sacks, and his 16 tackles for loss are tied for the most in the NFL.

Among his many commendable endeavors off the field, Crosby has been a steadfast supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, consistently playing a pivotal role in fulfilling the wishes of many children. Over the course of the 2024 season Crosby will have helped to host 5 Make-A-Wish kids and their families, who experienced a visit to Intermountain Health Performance Center and Raiders Headquarters for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes experience on the Saturday before a Raiders home game. On gameday, those families were treated to a VIP experience including pre-game field access on the sideline to watch warm-ups and a comped meal at any of the concessions stands.

Crosby and his wife, Rachel, also recently announced a remarkable $1 million donation to his alma mater, Eastern Michigan University. This generous contribution to the EMU athletic department will support the expansion of the school's Championship Building Plan, enhancing resources for student-athletes and the community.

Crosby hosted the Play Football Skills Camp Featuring Maxx Crosby, a free skills clinic at Intermountain Health Performance Center that consisted of 250 participants aged 6–13 years old earlier this year. Participants ran through various drills and received coaching throughout the clinic from Crosby and his teammates. He also lent his time and experience to the annual CHAMP Camp, a youth football camp focused on fundamentals, skill and character development, teamwork and education on what it means to be a positive influence in the community.

To celebrate his Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination, Crosby teamed up with the Raiders Foundation to select a charity as the recipient of the funds raised from the 50/50 Raffle at a Raiders home game. Crosby selected Clark County School District to specifically benefit Mission High School with $55,900. Mission High School is a comprehensive secondary school designed for students in recovery from substance abuse, use, and/or dependency. He also donated two tickets to Super Bowl LVIII to two former students turned faculty members from Mission High School.

All 32 nominees will be recognized for their achievements during the week leading up to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. The winner of the 2024 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award will be announced during NFL Honors, a primetime awards special to air nationally on FOX and the NFL Network on Thursday, Feb. 6.

Each nominee will receive up to a $55,000 donation, and the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award winner will receive a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice. All donations are made possible by the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.

Fans are once again encouraged to participate in Nationwide's annual Charity Challenge, a social media and online contest that allows fans to show support for their favorite Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee. Fans can vote on X/Twitter by posting #WPMOYChallenge along with the last name/X handle of their chosen nominee or by voting directly on NFL.com/ManOfTheYear. 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, with the runner-up receiving $10,000 and the third-place winner receiving $5,000. Charity Challenge voting takes place from Thursday, Dec. 5 to Sunday, Jan. 6.

Beginning Week 14 and continuing through the end of the season, each of this year's nominees, including Crosby, will wear a special Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal in recognition of their accomplishments on and off the field.

Raiders Alumnus and Pro Football Hall of Famer George Blanda was named NFL Man of the Year in 1974 while playing for the Silver and Black.

For more information on the nominees and the award, please visit NFL.com/ManOfTheYear.