Congratulations are in order for cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who has been named a finalist for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. Asomugha is representing the Oakland Raiders for this award, but he is going to be a free agent after his contract was voided due to certain incentives not being reached.
Asomugha is a finalist alongside Israel Idonije (Chicago Bears) and Madieu Williams (Minnesota Vikings). The three finalists all received a $5,000 donation from NFL Charities to the charity of their choice. This goes along with a similar $1,000 donation to the charity of choice for each of the 32 team representatives. The 49ers were represented by Takeo Spikes.
The winner will be announced on Feb. 6 live before the Super Bowl kicks off in Dallas. After the jump I've posted some of Nnamdi's numerous charitable endeavors passed along by the NFL.
Asomugha is a four-time Pro Bowl cornerback for the Oakland Raiders. In 2010, he was only targeted 33 times by opposing quarterbacks, embodying the essence of a shut-down corner. Off the field, he serves as chairman of the Asomugha Foundation, where he works to enhance the two key programs, OWIN and ACTS. OWIN, Orphans and Widows in Need, supports women and children in Nigeria and provides food, shelter, medicine, vocational training, literacy efforts and scholarships. OWIN is currently working to expand the existing two centers in Nigeria to other countries throughout Africa.
ACTS, the Asomugha College Tour for Scholars, was created in 2007 and is an annual college tour and mentoring program which provides high-achieving high-school students of color the opportunity to visit college campuses across the country. To date, ACTS has provided 36 students with opportunity to tour colleges and universities in Atlanta, Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. The 2011 tour will take an additional 16 students to New Orleans. Asomugha speaks nationally on the merits of volunteerism and education and was an invited guest of former President Bill Clinton at the Clinton Foundation Global Initiative University (2009, 2010). He currently serves as a national spokesperson for United Way's "Live United" campaign and NFL Network's "Keep Gym in School" initiative.
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