Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. is much more than a world-class football player worthy of a Hall of Fame induction.
He's also a world-class guy.
Smith is the Ravens' nominee for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which is given annually by the NFL to honor a player's volunteer and charity work, as well as excellence on the field.
Voting ends tomorrow at midnight, and you can vote using the hashtag #SmithWPMOYChallenge on your social media posts.
Here are five reasons why you should vote for him (other than the fact that he just made your day by announcing his return):
Holiday Helper … On A Scooter
A torn Achilles didn't stop Smith from getting out into the community this holiday season. Smith organized the team's 11th annual Holiday Helpers event at the Owings Mills Target on Dec. 14, just about six weeks after surgery. Smith was on a scooter wheeling around the store with 60 in-need children from various Police Athletic Leagues in the Baltimore area.
The Steve Smith Family Foundation
In 2013, Steve and his wife, Angie, founded the Steve Smith Family Foundation, which champions families affected by domestic violence and promotes child health and wellness. Since its inception, the foundation's efforts have provided children from the Safe Alliance Domestic Violence Shelter the opportunity to attend summer camps. The foundation's signature events, the Strike Out Domestic Violence and the Lace Up, Son! 5k race, raise funds for Safe Alliance and the Siskey YMCA.
Partner With House of Ruth
In 2015, Steve partnered with the House of Ruth Maryland, one of the nation's leading intimate partner violence centers. Throughout October, he collected toiletries for the shelter's residents and donated game-used cleats to raise funds for the organization.
He Went All The Way To Germany
This past April, Smith took his aid international, hosting a camp at Ramstein Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, for children of active-duty and retired U.S. military members. While he was there, Smith visited wounded soldiers from a military operation in Afghanistan.
He's A Foot Samaritan
In 2007, Smith helped create Athletes United for Youth, a charity organization that provides educational, programmatic and structured support to youth in under-served communities. He has also donated thousands of shoes by teaming with Samaritan's Feet, an organization that provides new footwear to under-privileged children all over the world.
