Falcons have Walter Payton Man of the Year finalist they simply can’t afford to lose

Every year, teams vote one player to be one of the NFL's 32 Walter Payton Man of the Year award nominees. These nominees are players who have done outstanding work off the field in their communities.

This year, cornerback A.J. Terrell will represent the Dirty Birds. The veteran found out during a surprise visit from his little brother, Aveion.

He was later surprised by his parents and honored in front of his teammates.

A.J. Terrell honored by his team with nomination for top NFL award

Atlanta Falcons players took note of everything Terrell did in the community as they nominated him for the award. This is the first time in his career he has been nominated.

Much of the reason he wasn't before was because of the outstanding work his long-time teammate Grady Jarrett put in. But with Jarrett moving on to Chicago in the offseason (the Bears nominated WR D.J. Moore), the spotlight is now on Terrell.

It was special to see his little brother surprise him with the honors because he could be headed toward a nomination of his own in the future. Aveion is a standout corner at A.J.'s alma mater, Clemson.

The Tigers' junior could join his older brother in the NFL as soon as next year. Perhaps the Falcons will find a way to draft him to pair the two siblings on the defense if he makes it out of the first round.

For A.J., he will look to win the award at NFL Honors on Feb. 5. He will be surrounded by 31 other players—one from each team.

The past five winners are Arik Armstead (2024), Cam Heyward (2023), Dak Prescott (2022), Andrew Whitworth (2021), and Russell Wilson (2020).

As you might notice, every one of those winners was in their 30s, except for Prescott, who was just short of 30 years old. Terrell turned 27 in September, and while that certainly doesn't disqualify him from winning it, players in their 30s hold an advantage, as they spend more time in the community.

Nevertheless, even being nominated is a high achievement. Active rosters sit at 53, so you have to put in a lot of work to get recognized—something Terrell has certainly done.

As he said in the video, he starts feeling anxious when he has free time because he isn't helping out the community. Hearing that puts his character in perspective—the Falcons and the city of Atlanta are lucky to have him, even beyond his Pro-Bowl talents.

Hopefully, he can find himself holding the trophy in early February. And it only proves how irreplaceable Terrell is in more ways than one.