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Kenny Moore II nominated for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year

The defensive standout will wear a special helmet decal through the end of the season, recognizing him for his community service and leadership off the field.

INDIANAPOLIS — EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above is a previous report about Kenny Moore II's special relationship with a child battling cancer.

The Indianapolis Colts have nominated cornerback Kenny Moore II for an award highlighting his off-the-field accomplishments.

The Colts announced Tuesday they nominated Moore II for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. The award recognizes one player from each NFL team for both performance on the field and community service efforts and leadership off the field.

Moore learned of the honor from a very special person as part of a surprise set up by the Colts.

Moore's mother walked in on an interview to break the news to her son. The Colts shared the surprise in a Twitter video, which also featured messages from past Colts who were nominated for the award, including Darius Butler, Pierre Desir and Pat McAfee. 

"Kenny is just so authentic," said Colts head coach Frank Reich. "Whenever I think about Kenny, I just think, whatever he's going to do, he's going to make an impact, he's going to make a difference because of the amount that he cares and how hard he will work and the length that he will go to, to help somebody else."

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As the Colts' nominee for the award, Moore II will wear a special helmet decal through the end of the season to recognize him for his accomplishments.

In his time in Indianapolis, Moore II has been especially outspoken about raising awareness for Indiana kids battling childhood illnesses. He formed a special bond with "Mighty" Mason Garvey, who died in June of 2020 at 9 years old after a fight with Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue cancer.

Moore II has used his platform to raise money for research and education on childhood illnesses. Just this year, he has played an integral role in a number of community outreach efforts:

  • Joined the board for the George4Foundation, which supports individuals with special needs
  • Participated in the "Tee Off for Tyler" event, which raised more than $13,000 for the Tyler Trent Foundation
  • Served as a board member for A Kid Again, which takes kids living with life-threatening conditions on fun-filled adventures
  • Collaborated with The Shop Indy to help raise more than $6,000 for the Mighty Mason Fund through special T-shirt sales
  • Helped build a playground at an IPS elementary school for Colts Community Tuesday

Moore II has also been a vocal supporter of mental health awareness and the Colts' Kicking the Stigma initiative.

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