Saquon Barkley is the NY Giants’ nominee for the 2022 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which recognizes NFL players for outstanding community service as well as excellence on the field.
Saquon Barkley is well-known for his talent on the field. Now the NFL has recognized Saquon’s ongoing efforts to make a difference off the field and Covenant House New Jersey has been a big beneficiary of those off the field efforts. Congratulations Saquon on being the nominee for the Man of the Year Award and thanks for all your support for youth facing homelessness.
“Being the recipient for the New York Giants and getting honored is truly amazing,” said Saquon. “It’s something that was a goal of mine when I got drafted. I want to win the whole thing. But it’s not just about winning the award. It’s about the work you do in the community to try to make an impact and make change. I’m very blessed to have the opportunity to play the sport that I love and to live out my dream and be able to have an impact on children.”
“This is such a well-deserved honor,” said Covenant House New Jersey Executive Director Jim White. “Every night, thousands of young people experience homelessness on the streets of New Jersey. Saquon finds this unacceptable … and he’s doing something about it.”
For over four years, Barkley, with support from the New York Giants, has donated his time, talent, and resources to support Covenant House New Jersey, an organization that provides crisis and long-term housing and support that empowers young people to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty.
“Saquon is a major force in our Sleep Out movement as chairman of our Executive Sleep Out, which raises millions of dollars that goes directly to providing food, clothing, emergency and long-term housing, medical care, counseling and job training,” said White. “He quietly and without fanfare hosts groups of our young people on the field at all Giant home games and has been doing that since his rookie season. He and the Giants have partnered with Inspire Change, the NFL initiative that does so much in our communities to support programs that reduce barriers to opportunity. Saquon and the New York Giants are true champions for young people overcoming homelessness at Covenant House New Jersey. In our eyes he truly deserves to be the NFL Man of the Year.”
Saquon is now one of 32 players selected as their team’s Man of the Year, representing the best of the NFL’s commitment to philanthropy and community impact. The 2022 winner will be revealed during NFL Honors ahead of Super Bowl LVII.
To learn more about Covenant House New Jersey or Sleep Outs to support our youth facing homelessness, please contact Janette Dubenezic at Jdubenezic@covenanthouse.org.
