Philadelphia Eagles: Reactions to Chris Long’s recent honor

You didn’t think that the Philadelphia Eagles would miss an opportunity to celebrate with Chris Long following him winning the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

Every once in a while, the nice guy finishes first. Perhaps the only flaw in the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is the fact that only one person can take it home. This year, much of the rest of the NFL world learned something that the Philadelphia Eagles and their fans have known for a while. Chris Long isn’t just one of the league’s best.

He’s also one of the best people that anyone could hope to meet or come into contact with, and one day before what might be the most boring Super Bowl in history, he was recognized as the Walter Payton Man of the Year.

We can all agree that J.J. Watt was very deserving of this same award a season ago, but if anyone ever told you that Long could, very well, win this same award yearly, don’t look at the person who said it as though they were crazy.

Being a champion of positive causes was instilled in him early. In the 1980s, he appeared in an anti-underage drinking public service announcement with his parents. He was an infant at the time.

Ever since then, he’s grown into a man who’s used his platform to better the lives of others. After the tragedies in his hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia, he stepped up to show his support.

That was after he started his Chris Long Foundation in 2015 and prior to him donating his game checks to create scholarship opportunities in Charlottesville. Many a man or woman could have stopped there and been seen as a hero, but Long wasn’t done.

Once those scholarship opportunities were created, he decided to donate the remaining checks he’d receive in 2017 to charity as well.

Following his most recent honor, several of his closest supporters took to social media to offer some kudos.

Here’s one from us:

Today, all we ask is that you do something nice for yourself Mr. Long. Take the day off. You’ve earned it.