Former LSU and current Los Angeles Rams lineman Andrew Whitworth has been named the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year. Whitworth earned the honor for his tireless community service through his BigWhit 77 Foundation. Lifelong friend Rick Guillot serves as president of the Foundation and summed up watching his friend receive the league’s most prestigious honor in just one word…
“That presentation was perfect,” said Guillot. “That’s been my word. The speech was perfect. The timing was perfect. In Los Angeles, before the Super Bowl. It could be his last game of his career. Everything, the buildup was perfect.”
Whitworth’s acceptance speech has drawn rave reviews for his humility and his call to action for the NFL and its players to keep doing more in their communities to make them better. Guillot says that’s the Andrew he’s always known…
“Seeing him take that opportunity too, not just to have an acceptance speech but to really try to influence and impact people in that moment was typical Whit,” he said. “We were just so proud of him.”
While Whitworth has made Cincinnati and Los Angeles his homes for the last 16 seasons, he’s never forgotten about his home state and his hometown of West Monroe. Whitworth has worked with local charities on everything from rent assistance to helping with the rebuild after Hurricane Ida. Guillot says helping children and families in Louisiana has always been a priority for the foundation.
“He did a lot when Hurricane Ida rolled through,” Guillot said. “We still do our Open Arms Grant here which is a grant to parents looking to adopt that maybe can’t afford that process. We have scholarship programs here in North Louisiana that we’ve done for a long time.”
Whitworth is a two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl selection. He will be the oldest lineman to start a Super Bowl game at 40 years of age.
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