Steve Wright, Mannequin Behind Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, Dies at 82

Steve Wright, a former NFL offensive sort out and the enduring determine behind the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award trophy has handed away on the age of 82. The Green Bay Packers confirmed his demise, marking the tip of an period for one in every of soccer’s lesser recognized but extra impactful figures.

Standing at 6-foot-6 and 250 kilos, Wright had a outstanding skilled soccer profession. Selected within the fifth spherical from the University of Alabama in 1964, Wright made a direct impression on the sphere and was a vital member of one of many NFL’s best dynasties.

Three-Time Champion with the Green Bay Packers

According to Bleacher Report, Wright was a key determine on the Green Bay Packers’ championship group of the Sixties underneath the legendary Vince Lombardi.

Wright anchored the Packers’ line as an offensive sort out throughout a heyday that included successful a number of titles. His effort might not have all the time discovered its manner into the newspapers, but it surely was a particular issue on the sphere.

Wright performed in 101 NFL video games, starting greater than 40 of them. His work ethic, toughness, and regular play earned him a well-respected popularity within the locker room and on the sphere.

Journeyman Career Beyond Green Bay

In 1968, Wright was traded to the New York Giants, beginning a interval of nomadic wandering in his soccer profession. The subsequent few years noticed him have short-lived stops with Washington, Chicago, and St. Louis earlier than he retired from the NFL. Though short-term, every cease contributed to a profession based on persistence and resilience.

The Man Behind the Man of the Year Trophy

Wright’s most enduring legacy might not reside in-game stats or spotlight reels however in bronze. Artist Daniel Bennett Schwartz, whereas Wright was with the New York Yankees, sculpted a statue of Wright as the topic.

According to TMZ Sports, that statue would come to be the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, one of many NFL’s most storied honors, given to gamers for his or her excellence on and off the sphere.

Initially and not using a identify, the award was renamed in 1999 for Walter Payton, the Chicago Bears nice who was acknowledged for his philanthropic work. But the picture and likeness of the statue belong to Wright’s—without end enshrining him within the NFL’s custom of service and group outreach.

Author and Storyteller After Football

Following his retirement, Wright wrote about his life in skilled soccer in his memoir, I’d Rather Be Wright: Memoirs of an Itinerant Tackle.

Wright’s memoir offered followers with an insider’s glimpse into the existence of an NFL journeyman, full with behind-the-scenes anecdotes, private observations, and consideration of a life that had been outlined by the sport.

Every NFL fan no matter age, ought to understand how Wright impacted NFL together with his passing.