Larry Ogunjobi named Steelers’ nominee for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award

Larry Ogunjobi isn’t the biggest talker in the locker room or with media. But Ogunjobi’s voice carries in the community and with causes that matter.

Ogunjobi, a veteran defensive lineman, was named the Pittsburgh Steelers’ nominee for the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award on Thursday.

“He moves in silence. He’s like a superhero,” position mate Cameron Heyward said.

Heyward won the league-wide Man of the Year honor for last season and has six times been the Steelers’ nominee for the award, which the league uses to recognize excellence on and off the field. Each team nominates one player “who has had a significant positive impact on his community.”

“He just tries to get the job done,” Heyward said. “He helps out so many different people. I love the fact that he didn’t just start during the season. It’s during the offseason. It’s doing etiquette classes with kids. It’s Thanksgiving. It’s helping the immigrants here. I think it’s really cool how much he’s helping out.”

.@Mr_Ogunjobi is our nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, presented by @Nationwide.

Repost & reply with “#WPMOYChallenge @Mr_Ogunjobi” to help him earn a $35,000 contribution to the charity of his choice. #WPMOY

????: https://t.co/NSW07HxBfa pic.twitter.com/VpfXPN9lC5

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 5, 2024

An eight-year NFL veteran in his third season with the Steelers, the 30-year-old Ogunjobi established the First of Many Foundation.

A first-generation Nigerian, Ogunjobi focuses his work on the physical and mental health of children whose parents were immigrants.

“My parents have always had a heart of giving,” Ogunjobi said Thursday. “At a young age, they gave out of nothing. Even when they didn’t have (anything), they always tried to give. Being who I am now and as blessed as I am now, I have an obligation to help people that are in need and be a light for people.”

Each of the 32 Payton Award nominees will receive up to $55,000, and the award winner will receive up to a $265,000 donation to their charity of choice.

Ogunjobi, who said he weighed 350 pounds as a young teen, supports the American Heart Association and works for causes to fight childhood obesity. He said as a kid he preferred video games to physical activity, and that football changed his life.

Ogunjobi also teams up with Hello Neighbor, a local immigrant and refugee advocacy group.

“As somebody who has been a recipient of somebody changing your life, it’s everything,” Ogunjobi said. “The right person believing in you, the right conversation, the right gesture can go a long way and completely change the trajectory of your life. When you can be that light for people, when you can be that person for somebody else, it’s an amazing opportunity and obligation.”

Defensive lineman Isaiahh Loudermilk called Ogunjobi, “a great dude.”

“He’s one of those guys who’s a little quieter, but you see the work he’s out there doing in the community,” Loudermilk said. “That’s just the type of guy he is here, too. Always willing to help whoever it is. You’ve just got to go up and ask him. The stuff he’s doing, he’s definitely deserving of that award. I’m glad he’s getting the recognition he deserves.”

The Steelers have two NFL Walter Payton Award winners in their locker room in quarterback Russell Wilson (2020 when he was with the Seattle Seahawks) and Heyward.

With Heyward and Ogunjobi, it could be said that the heart of the Steelers’ community work is in their defensive line position room.

“It definitely wears off on you, makes you realize how big it is — bigger than just football,” said the Steelers’ third starter on the defensive line, second-year pro Keeanu Benton. “And it goes to show how Coach (Mike Tomlin) tries to implement that in everybody and everybody is their own man and what guys decide to do with it. It just goes to show how family-oriented we are as a team, as a whole and I definitely feel that’s wearing off on everybody.”