Cleveland Browns safety Grant Delpit shares his gratitude after being named the team's nominee for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
On Sunday's you'll find Grant Delpit flying around the football field, making plays on defense for the Cleveland Browns. Off the field, though, you may be fortunate enough to find him out in the local community, helping others, most notably through his GD Express Foundation.
It's those efforts outside the lines that earned Delpit what is considered the NFL's most prestigious honor. The 27-year-old was officially named the Browns nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which recognizes one individual from each team for their excellence not only on the field but also off of it, in the respective communities they play in.
It's a recognition Delpit doesn't take lightly.
"I appreciate everybody who's helped me get this award, man, and all the events that I put on, it's not just me, it's everybody behind the scenes coming under the same roof," he said on Thrusday. "Having the platform that we have, I think that's the main point of it all. What's the point of the platform without actually using it for the greater good?"
That mindset is something the New Orleans Native has subscribed to from a young age. In 2007, Delpit and his family were displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The tragedy that played out for so many nationally on TV was his reality. It's also at the root of why Delpit has dedicated himself to giving back.
"Growing up within New Orleans, it wasn't a lot of, I feel like community events and stuff like that that I went to," he explained. "But then with Katrina, everybody helped with coming back to help out."
Delpit spent many of his formidable years after the hurricane hit in Houston, Texas, where he saw examples of athletes using their platform to reach the community, just as he does now.
"Growing up in Houston, I remember going to sports stores like Academy and they would have Texas players there doing signings and stuff like that," he added. "So it was always cool in the back of my mind to be able to do that when I got to that level. And now that we are here, year six, I've been seeing this award for the past couple years and I always thought it was a cool thing. So now it's really a blessing to be able to be in that."
He's also taken notes from his teammates. Previous Browns' Walter Payton Man of the Year nominees like Joel Bitonio, Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward have all been paramount in Delpit pushing to find his own avenues to give back and eventually start his foundation.
Including his work through the GD Express Foundation, Delpit has also been heavily involves in the Browns own philanthropy efforts via Browns Give Back. He's funded annual back-to-school events as part of his role as a Stay in the Game! Attendance Network ambassador and hosted hundreds of children and families on Christmas Day at Lakeview Terrace, an event aimed at serving the low-income residents of the area.
"Cleveland, man I can't say enough good things about y'all," the 2020 second-round pick said. "They show up to everything that we do with and they're welcoming with open arms. They're always supportive, always grateful, and just having a good time, really. So that's the part of the reason why I love doing community events. Because I know it's going to be a good time."
In a touching moment captured and shared via the Browns social media accounts, the team revealed to Grant that he was the team's 2025 nominee for the award during a team meeting last weekend. The big reveal included a video featuring Delpit's mother, Endya Delpit, congratulating her son on the honor. She then surprised him in person to share the moment.
"They kept it a secret," Delpit joked. "I think my mom, the flight got delayed and they probably landed at midnight or something like that and she was like, I don't know, I couldn't miss this flight. I'm like, you know what? It was a Saturday. So I'm like, the game on Sunday, why? She's like, I just wasn't missing this flight, asking me what time I'm leaving in the morning and stuff like that. So I should have knew something was up."
As one of the 32 nominees across the league, Delpit will be invited to attend the NFL Honors during Super Bowl week in February, where he will be recognized for his achievements and be in the mix to be the national winner of the 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. The NFL Honors show is officially set for Thursday, Feb. 5.