(ThyBlackMan.com) The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award is one of the most well-known awards in professional sports. It “recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field. The award was established in 1970 and was renamed in 1999 after the late Hall of Fame running back, Walter Payton. Each team nominates one player who has had a significant positive impact on his community, with one winner selected from the 32 club winners.” One of the more interesting nominees for the award this year is Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, whose Houston team was eliminated from the playoffs several days ago.
Azeez Al-Shaair was undrafted entering the NFL in 2019 after playing college football at Florida Atlantic and eventually made the San Francisco 49ers team where he shared a position room with 49ers star linebacker Fred Warner. After a year with the Tennessee Titans in 2023, Al-Shaair joined the Houston Texans where his former defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, was the head coach of the team. Ryans thought well of Al-Shaair’s talent and play to make him a starting linebacker for Houston the past two years. As a player, Azeez Al-Shaair is a rangy, hard-hitting linebacker who has been known for being fined for the hard hits he has given to opposing players the past few years. He was even suspended during the 2024 NFL season for a hit on Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
For football players, it can be an interesting challenge to turn on the violence and energy on the football field and be a thoughtful and kind person off the football field. During an interview on NFL Network earlier this year, Al-Shaair discussed the differences of his on-field play and off the field personality. His community work is due to his mother’s values and his Muslim faith as he mentioned during the interview.
Azeez Al-Shaair was nominated as the Houston Texans club winner for The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award because of his work with the non-profit organization United Way, an organization that helped him and his family when he was young. He also visited Covenant House with Special Teams Coordinator Frank Ross and his teammates to provide support and free haircuts, and also provided opportunities to young people during separate events who are in challenging financial situations due to their familial situation.
During the NFL Playoffs, Azeez Al-Shaair made a statement for what he was wearing and not what he was saying vocally. During Houston’s first playoff game against the Steelers, he wore eye black etched with the phrase “Stop the Genocide” in referencing Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza against thousands of Palestinians. The NFL levied a $11,593 fine to Al-Shaair for a violation of the NFL uniform and equipment rules, citing the display of a personal message. It did not stop him from again wearing eye black with the same message during the pregame huddle with his Texans teammates before their team’s loss to the Patriots. He did not wear it during the game. Al-Shaair is taking a stance on a smaller level than freedom fighter legends Malcolm X and Kwame Ture, who supported Palestinian rights. Al-Shaair previously used the NFL’s annual “My Cleats My Cause” initiative to demonstrate his support for the “Free Palestine” cause.
Staff Writer; Mark Hines
