NFL Man of the Year Nominees 2022 | Chiefs | NFL.com

Patrick Mahomes

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Excellence on the Field:

A sixth-year NFL veteran, Patrick Mahomes has seemingly become a benchmark for excellence on the field from the moment he ascended to the starting role prior to the 2018 season. He entered this season in truly rarified air. Just a handful of the statistical mountains he's scaled include accumulating 151 passing touchdowns in his first five seasons, trailing only PFHOF Dan Marino (168) for most in a player's first five years; Tallying 31 career 300-yard games, the most in that timeframe; Compiling four-consecutive seasons with 4,000+ passing yards, joining PFHOF Peyton Manning as the only two players to have four-consecutive 4,000-yard seasons in their first five seasons in the league. He's accomplished this all despite only playing in one game his rookie year in 2017. Still, perhaps the personification of his truly unique level of on-field excellence can be seen in his appearances at the sport's crowning event. With his start in Super Bowl LV, Patrick became the youngest QB in NFL history (25 years and 143 days old) to start in two Super Bowls. That's in addition to being named NFL MVP following the 2018 season, following that up by being named Super Bowl LIV MVP the following season.

Dedication & Commitment to Community Efforts This Year:

This year has been a busy one of activation for Patrick Mahomes along with his 15 and the Mahomies Foundation. To date, nearly $1.9M in grants have been awarded to a myriad of groups that are focused on uplifting youth. However, the impact of this philanthropy is found well outside the confines of mere financial assistance. Playing off his jersey number, 15, the foundation has focused on continuing to activate its "15 for 15" programing again in 2022. As a result, groups of 15 have been supported in various ways, including sending underserved youth Chiefs and Texas Tech football games; Funding adoptions for rescue dogs complete with a year's worth of supplies for their forever homes; Funding supplies for art-focused afterschool programs and traditional classrooms; Funding Camp Home scholarships for youth battling cancer; Outfitting youth football teams with equipment and jerseys; Covering educational tutorial programs for students in the urban core; Funding scholarships for the children of fallen or active-duty military members; Supporting athletes competing in Special Olympics; Providing assistance to anti-bullying organizations for in-school publicity. In addition, the Foundation will continue to donate to those dealing with food insecurity in 2022. Through partnerships with foodbanks, the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation has distributed 15,000 meals while preparing to again activate its annual Thanksgiving basket distributions around the holidays. Thanks to a unique partnership with Pete's Garden, they have activated local high school culinary students to prepare and distribute some 3,560 meals with another 2,500 planned prior to the conclusion of this school year. Patrick and his 15 and the Mahomies Foundation have continued to combat illiteracy. Some 19,500 students have pledged to participate in the Read for 15 program, an initiative that saw a 12% increase in reading scores by participating schools last year. Likewise, supporting volunteerism amongst youth has also been a driving focus of the Foundation. This year, 536 youth have pledged to the "Volunteer for 15" program. As a result, some 12,844 volunteer hours have been generated by children participating in the program. That reach was felt internationally with 19 unique metropolitan areas having volunteers, including a pair of cities in Canada.

Dedication & Commitment to Community Efforts in Years Past:

Since its creation in 2019, the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation has built momentum and placed an emphasis on improving the lives of children with a continued focus on supporting health, wellness, and various communities in need of resources. To date, nearly $2.75M in grant dollars have been distributed by the Foundation. There have been multiple seminal moments for Patrick and his Foundation. One of the more recent took place around the start of the 2021 NFL season. At a ceremony transpiring 58 years to the day following the iconic "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King Jr. on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Patrick and his Foundation re-dedicated Kansas City's Martin Luther King Jr. Park. That moment was made possible thanks to a $1M donation by 15 and the Mahomies Foundation toward the playground that was designed following a series of community engagement meetings with the intention of celebrating Dr. King and creating a place that is inclusive and accessible for children of all abilities. The area is now packed with colorful components, including three towers, swings, climbing nets, suspended walkways, jumping pods, spinners, embankment mounds, climbing areas, a merry-go-round, and a section with age-appropriate play equipment and safety surfaces especially for kids ages 2-5. "This is y'all's park," Patrick told the crowd during the celebration that day. "This is just the beginning for Kansas City's future and the future of the kids in Kansas City, hopefully it will keep going." However, it's more than just the ability to play safely that has fueled Patrick and his Foundation. Instead, the focus is fully on living a healthier lifestyle for area youth. To that, he's hosted a OneSight Vision Clinic, providing free eye exams and glasses to more than 100 children in the Kansas City area. Additionally, via the 15 and the Mahomies Wellness program/playbook, he's helped to encourage dental screenings and care throughout Kansas City (Kansas) schools. This program has included a printed dental and health guide in both English and Spanish, 3,500 toothbrushes and 3,500 toothbrush holders to be sure participants can fully put into practice the lessons they've learned. The impact felt by the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation has been impressive. In fact, earlier this season, the Kansas City Business Journal ranked it the 42nd of KC's Biggest Charitable Trusts and Foundations by grant volume.

Positive Character & a Lifestyle of Giving Back:

Perhaps the most impressive personification of the essence that fuels Patrick Mahomes approach off the field could be found in the aftermath to the George Floyd incident in the summer of 2020. Patrick led a contingent of NFL stars from throughout the sport to propel the subject of a need for change in our society. Utilizing his personal Twitter account to disseminate the video, he joined his NFL brethren by asking "What if I were George Floyd?" Then, he continued to push the topic of social reform. Beginning with his teammates, he was a vocal leader in a team meeting that summer led by RISE to Vote, encouraging the players and coaches to register and actively participate in the general election. Likewise, Patrick shared that message publicly and joined the Chiefs in hosting a combination voter registration/food distribution event that served nearly 6,000 people representing nearly 1,500 households. Leading into Election Day itself, he also teamed with the Hunt Family Foundation via an Inspire Change grant to turn GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium into the largest polling center in the history of the Kansas City Election Board, serving more than 2,100 voters. As a result of this investment, which included funding to purchase new voting machines, the stadium now can now be utilized as a polling center for at least the next 10-12 years. As Patrick told the Huddle and Flow podcast leading into Election Day, "I thought it was very important not only just to get as many people out to vote as possible but also to use a place like Arrowhead, where we have a lot of fun, show a lot of love and unity, where people come together, and use that as a place where we can come together and vote and use our voice." The Kansas City Chiefs are proud to select Patrick Mahomes as their 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.