Anquan Boldin wins Walter Payton Man of the Year

It's official, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Anquan Boldin has won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

The 49ers wide receiver has been extremely active within the communities of his home state of Florida, all three of his stops (Arizona, Baltimore and S.F.) and has heavily pushed his Q81 foundation to make sure underprivileged children will get not only a fair shot at higher education, but also dental and health care that otherwise would be unavailable.  That's just scraping the surface. Give Jennifer Chan's article a read for just how active he is in the foundation and the community.

The award, once known simply as the Man of the Year award, awards a single active NFL player for their contributions in charity work and excellence on the field. Walter Payton won the award in 1977, and shortly after his passing, the award was renamed in his honor

Boldin went up against New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson for the prestigious award. He was also a finalist last year, however Thomas Davis of the Carolina Panther won out in the end. To be considered two years in a row is an accomplishment of itself.

We here at Niners Nation would like to congratulate Anquan Boldin for this great honor.