The Pittsburgh Steelers have selected Vance McDonald as their nominee for the 2020 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. This award recognizes outstanding players for “excellence on and off the field.” Teams select nominees based on the impact they have had on their community. Previous winners include Kurt Warner, J.J. Watt, Joe Greene, and Peyton and Eli Manning.
“It’s well-deserved and not surprising,” Convoy of Hope’s Convoy Nation™ Vice President Kirk Noonan said. “Vance’s nature is to look out for the poor and suffering, and do whatever he can in his power to advocate for them, to defend them, and to provide for them. That’s just who he is.”
McDonald brought Convoy of Hope to the Steelers in 2019, and again this December for an annual event the team dubbed “Huddle for the Holidays.”
“I want to take my hat off to Vance McDonald, who was the impetus to get this started and partnering with Convoy of Hope,” Steelers President Art Rooney II said of the event.
Huddle for the Holidays was part of Convoy of Hope’s Pro-Series Community Events where Guests of Honor received groceries, shoes, socks, winter wear, hygiene kits, books, and toys.
McDonald also teamed up with Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback of the team, to bring Convoy of Hope trucks to the greater Pittsburgh area four other times throughout 2020 in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
“Vance is a quality player, a quality teammate, and a quality person,” Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin said. “He’s not low maintenance — he’s no maintenance. He uplifts his teammates, just like he uplifts his community.”
