The nominees are in! The Detroit Lions have selected their 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee, recognizing defensive lineman DJ Reader. The award is known for honoring players who not only excel on the field, but off the field as well. The nominees make a positive impact in the lives of their fans, their communities, and the game as a whole, showing the NFL community that football goes deeper than what they see out on the turf.
Reader joined the Lions in March 2024 as a free agent after a three-year stint with the Cincinnati Bengals, entering his 10th season with the NFL. Over that time, he made a statement in each community he touched, showing his passion went well beyond the game he plays for a living. Reader is often recognized for his accomplishments, previously nominated while he was a Houston Texan in 2019, and he also received the President’s Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Service award in 2022. He’s been involved in several opportunities to help lift the communities, such as turkey drives throughout Detroit, but particularly through his foundation, A Son Never Forgets Foundation.
Reader founded the foundation in 2017, two years after losing his father to kidney disease, to honor his legacy through something impactful. A Son Never Forgets Foundation was developed with the community in mind, expressing the importance of health and wellness in hopes to build a stronger and healthier community. Reader’s foundation offers services, resources, information, and activities to help promote their mission. Taking things a step further, he has offered additional opportunities such as football skills & drills camps, free health screenings, public reading spaces, and a plethora of opportunities for student athletes through grants for new facilities, equipment, and competition fees. He thrives on serving the communities that have helped shape him. In addition to the foundation, Reader began supporting the National Kidney Foundation with a goal to spread hope to those suffering as his father once had. With such, he helped raise well over $150,000 in funds for research through walks and golf tournaments.
Needless to say, DJ Reader understands the opportunity to utilize his platform in a positive light. He was inspired by his father to do great things, stating he “spent a lot of time watching [my] dad do great things for kids who needed it” while teaching. He was taught at a young age to pour back into the community that shaped him and he feels honored to give back to the people of his local community. Reader stated, “the work I have been able to do is a blessing.”
Along with the other 31 club winners, Reader’s efforts will be recognized during Super Bowl LX week, with the winner of the prestigious award announced on Thursday, February 5. Detroit fans are encouraged to vote for Reader via social media or the NFL website, enhancing the opportunity for him to win not only the award, but also $40,000 for his foundation and an additional $25,000 for the nonprofit of his choice. Being named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year would not only recognize the substantial efforts Reader has made to lift the community, but also provide additional funds to offer even more resources back to the people.
As you tune in to TNF to watch the Detroit Lions face the Dallas Cowboys tonight, be sure to keep an eye out for the special decal Reader will don in honor of this nomination.
To vote for your favorite defensive lineman, click over to NFL.com/ManOfTheYear or follow X/Twitter’s #WPMOYChallenge.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: DJ Reader Selected as Detroit’s 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year
