Chad Greenway a Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee

By The Sports Xchange

December 15, 2014 at 11:21 PM

Minnesota Vikings linebacker and Mount Vernon native Chad Greenway is among the 2014 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominees, which include star quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan and Jay Cutler.

All 32 teams selected their man of the year, qualifying them as finalists for the honor presented at Super Bowl XLIX at the NFL Honors show on Jan. 31.

Players are chosen based on their commitment to philanthropy and community impact. Three nominees will be selected as finalists for the award, named for the legendary Bears running back who died in 1999.

Finalists will be announced next month.

The 32 team nominees receive a $1,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to the charity of their choice. The three finalists will receive an additional $5,000 donation, and the

winner will receive an additional $20,000 donation in his name.

"We admire and support the important work that these players and so many other NFL players are doing to serve their communities," commissioner Roger Goodell said. "The NFL is filled with outstanding young men who help schools, shelters, and countless other organizations and good causes. We thank our players for recognizing the positive impact they can have in the lives of their fellow citizens and seizing that opportunity to make difference."

A list of the 32 team nominees:

Arizona Cardinals, Calais Campbell

Atlanta Falcons, Matt Bryant

Baltimore Ravens, Torrey Smith

Buffalo Bills, Fred Jackson

Carolina Panthers, Thomas Davis

Chicago Bears, Jay Cutler

Cincinnati Bengals, Vincent Rey

Cleveland Browns, Craig Robertson

Dallas Cowboys, DeMarco Murray

Denver Broncos, Ben Garland

Detroit Lions, Stephen Tulloch