CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers offensive lineman Bradley Bozeman strives to make a difference and the hard work he and his wife have poured into helping others is being noticed.
On Tuesday, Bozeman was nominated for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, the prestigious accolade that recognizes players for their excellence on the field and in the community. All 32 NFL franchises have one nominee for the award.
Bozeman and his wife, Nikki, established their foundation in 2018 that focuses on anti-bullying campaigns. It wasn't long before the foundation launched the SYNC program (Serving Your Neighbors and Communities). Since then, the Bozemans have provided tens of thousands of meals to families in Charlotte. That program has expanded to Matthews and Mint Hill as the Bozemans make a difference for even more neighbors.
The couple recently held their annual Halloween Party in Uptown with 100% of proceeds benefiting their foundation and snack boxes for kids.
"We've just been given such a big platform to help people and to be able to do great things," Bradley Bozeman said. "We've always decided that we were going to use that platform. It didn't matter if we're here for a month, two months or whatever it was. While we're here, we're going to make an impact."
The couple hopes to call Charlotte their permanent home after Bozeman signed a multiyear contract extension with the Panthers.
"Everyone in this community has been so amazing," he said. "I think it Baltimore it took us a couple of years to get set up and here it took us a month to start rolling through our events. We're just so blessed to be here with such a philanthropic community and a loving and open community."
The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award will be announced at NFL Honors on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024.
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