Photo Cred: Evan Siegle, Green Bay Packers
By Mark Eckel, Player Engagement Insider
Maybe it was just meant to be, set in stone a long time ago when Green Bay Packers linebacker Jayrone Elliott put on his first Pop Warner football uniform.
Elliott, the Packers’ nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, has a funny connection to the late Chicago Bears running back after whom the award is named.
“They called Walter Payton, Sweetness, right?’’ Elliott said, as he began the story to his childhood days in Cleveland. “My first position I played in Pop Warner was running back and I wore number 34. My coach used to call me Sweetness. I didn’t know what he meant then, but he would say ‘You’re like Sweetness there you go in the end zone again.’
Elliott’s days at running back ended by the time he got to college and then made the Packers as an undrafted free agent out of Toledo in 2014. What hasn’t stopped is Elliott’s desire to help people off the field which led to his nomination for one of the league’s top awards.
“When I was growing up people would always ask what do you want to do?’’ Elliott said. “Of course, be a NFL player was always up there, but I always said I just wanted to help people. I’ve been blessed that I can do both. By being in the NFL and playing the greatest game in the world I’ve been given the platform to help others and that means a lot to me.’’
Elliott was nominated by his teammates for his participation with the Children’s Heart Foundation Golf Outing in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, the Packers Give Back Celebrity Bowling event, his work with March of Dimes and the American Cancer Society.
Here are some of the other events the Packers linebacker and special teams ace, has done in the community.
* Interacted with six schools from the Hortonville Area and Greenville Middle School as part of the NFL’s Fuel Up to Play 60 program.
* Participated in the PALS Program “Packers Play 60’’ night and visited area middle schools as part of the Bellin Health “Play 60 Challenge’’
* Spoke to children at St. John the Baptist School in Plymouth, Wisc.
* Participated in an autograph signing at the Deere High vs. Bay Port High football game for Breast Cancer Awareness.
Guided kids through drills at the Packers Youth Football Camp and at the Junior Packer Youth Football Camp.
Filmed a PSA for Toys for Tots.
Three of the league’s 32 nominees (one from every team) will be selected as finalist for the awards and the winner will be announced in Houston at NFL Honors, on February 4th, the night before Super Bowl LI.
“It’s very humbling to be recognized and nominated for such a prestigious award,’’ Elliott said “It wasn’t one of my goals coming into the season, or anything, I just want to have an influence on people and help people whenever I can.
“As I said I’m humbled that my teammates honored me with this, it means a lot coming from them. All I’ve ever done was try to lead by example.’’
Elliott was a long shot to make the Packers roster as an undrafted rookie. And three years later as he has established himself both on and off the field, he still never takes that for granted.
“Every chance I get I thank our general manager (Ted Thompson), our President (Mark Murphy) and our head coach (Mike McCarthy) for giving me this opportunity,’’ he said. “It seems like everyone in this organization is just a mirror image, or a clone of each other. We have great chemistry. We talk about it all the time. That’s just the Packer way.’’