ENGLEWOOD, Colo — One week after his performance against NFL Defensive Player of the Year favorite Myles Garrett went viral, Garett Bolles’ work off the field is also being recognized on a national level.
Bolles is the Denver Broncos’ nominee for the 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, it was announced Tuesday.
The Broncos’ starting left tackle since he was their first-round selection out of Utah in the 2017 NFL Draft, Bolles earned the Man of the Year nomination through his work with youth in the juvenile justice system.
The Walter Payton Award is considered one of the NFL’s most prestigious honors, as it recognizes a player’s philanthropic and community work, as well as on-field performance. Initially called the NFL Man of the Year when it was first presented in 1970 to Baltimore Colts’ quarterback Johnny Unitas, the award was renamed after Chicago Bears Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton following his death in 1999.
There is one nominee from each of the 32 teams for the honor with the national winner announced at the NFL Honors program the Thursday (Feb. 8) before Super Bowl LVIII that will be played on Sunday, Feb.11. 2024 in Las Vegas.
Starting with his introductory press conference in 2017, Bolles has been open about this troubled childhood. He has used his platform as a professional athlete to mentor teenagers in the juvenile detention program in Arapahoe Country while also making regular visits to the Marvin W. Foote Youth Services Center.
“I have a learning disability with ADHD,’’ Bolles said in an interview with 9NEWS in late-October. “When you start to talk about troubled teens, and when I was a troubled teen and things that they go through I was like well what can I focus on? … The magistrate came down from Douglas County. She wanted to create a program where we can help these kids because these kids were going to Foote (the detention center) and then coming out. Going back into probation, going to Foote and then coming out.
“So I was like, ‘What can we do to catch them?’ So we decorated a room -- I wanted these kids to come in where it wasn’t just white walls around it. Wanted it to be a place where they would feel welcome.
“I make individual videos for each kid. Give them tickets, dinner, gift card flash drive for videos. If they meet certain criteria I’ll bring in a steak dinner for them. If they get to level three I’ll buy them shoes. This past Tuesday I got to buy three kids shoes through Under Armour so it’s been a really, really neat thing for me just seeing those kids struggling and how I can relate to them.
“There in so much violence and gangs and drugs and alcohol and all those things I’ve experienced at a young age. I can relate with them and help them find their purpose in life.’’
A second-team All Pro in 2020, Bolles is having one of his better seasons, as evidenced by keeping Garrett without a sack in the Broncos’ 29-12 win against Cleveland on Nov. 26 at Empower Field at Mile High. He ranks seventh all-time among Broncos’ offensive tackles with 94 starts in his seven seasons.
Broncos Man of the Year Nominees
- Garett Bolles (2023)
- Dalton Risner (2022)
- Justin Simmons (2021)
- Justin Simmons (2020)
- Justin Simmons (2019)
- Von Miller (2018)
- Chris Harris Jr. (2017)
- Virgil Green (2016)
- David Bruton Jr. (2015)
- Ben Garland (2014)
- Wesley Woodyard (2013)
- Zane Beadles (2012)
- Wesley Woodyard (2011)
- Wesley Woodyard (2010)
- Champ Bailey (2009)
- Champ Bailey (2008)
- Domonique Foxworth (2007)
- Rod Smith (2006)
- John Lynch (2005)
- Rod Smith (2004)
- Ian Gold (2003)
- Ed McCaffrey (2002)
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