Big Guy in many ways

The National Football League awards its Walter Payton Man Of The Year award to that player who best embodies the late Payton's sterling characteristics of community service and leadership. The winner for last year was current Baltimore Raven Calais Campbell.  Each team nominates a player, and this year the Ravens put Offensive Lineman Bradley Bozeman up for the title.

 Bozeman came to the Ravens from the University of Alabama and has been a star on the offensive line ever since. At 6' 5" and 311 lbs, he is equally adept at a)moving defensive linemen out of the way for a run play or b) keeping the opposition away from quarterback Lamar Jackson on the pass plays. It's kind of like asking a fire engine to get out of the way.

Off the field, he shines as brightly. In 2018, along with his wife Nikki, he founded  the Bradley & Nikki Bozeman Foundation. Through this charity, the Bozemans and others help at-risk children and their families to teach about the dangers of childhood bullying. And of course, since respect for others begins with respect for self, the Foundation emphasizes the need for respect for all, and for standing up for those in vulnerable positions.

The Bozemans were engaged to marry right after Alabama's epic national championship win in 2018.

Earlier this year, Bradley and Nikki set out on a cross-country trip with a goal of traveling for six weeks, going 5,000 miles, and talking to more than 12,000 students in 18 schools in 16 states. Things were going great until the Covid restrictions shut down the enterprise, what with schools being closed.

And the Bozemans have a twice-monthly free food distribution set up at Mount Pleasant Ministries in Baltimore, delivering 21,000 meals to 300 families. They hosted a Thanksgiving food distribution at the M&T Bank Stadium this year, as well.

The winner is awarded $250,000 for the charity of their choice, and even those nominated get $50,000 for the same purpose. It's good to know about this when people talk about selfish athletes who take the money and do no good!

I think it's only fair to mention that while on that trip to do good things this year, Bozeman paused to refresh himself at a Texas steakhouse, where he was able to down a 72-ounce steak in one of those "Eat this and we will post your picture" challenges. That's 4 1/2 pounds of beef off the hoof, and he enjoyed it along with a shrimp cocktail, baked potato, salad and buttered roll in 50 minutes.

For this alone, Bradley Bozeman is a man among men. I wouldn't be surprised to hear he stopped at 31 Flavors on the way home.