Anquan Boldin honored as NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Anquan Boldin was named the 2015 Walter Payton Man of the Year on Saturday during the NFL Honors awards show.
Boldin was acknowledged for his role in establishing the Anquan Boldin (Q81) Foundation in 2004, a charity that helps expand educational options for underprivileged children.
"When I first got into the NFL nobody could tell me anything. I was living life," Boldin said during his acceptance speech. "I had achieved my dream of one day making it into the NFL, but I soon realized that's not what life is all about. I realized my purpose in life was not to make it to the NFL and score touchdowns.
"God put me on this earth for something much bigger than that and I realized and understand what my purpose is now. ... It's my prayer and my hope that I can live out the rest of my life honoring God and help as many people as possible."
Boldin and his wife Dionne recently made efforts to expand the impact of his foundation with a $1 million pledge in 2014.