Anquan Boldin of the San Fransisco 49ers, won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award on Feb 6th, just one night before SuperBowl 50 took place. Boldin was nominated for the work he continues to accomplish outside of the NFL. In 2004, Boldin established the Anquan Boldin Foundation (Q81), which grants college scholarships, hosts Thanksgiving food drives, and extends educational/life opportunities to underprivileged children.
In his acceptance speech, Boldin stated his purpose wasn’t just to play football, but God put him here for a bigger purpose. His speech pointed to God and really showed viewers football is a platform for him to do a much greater work. Boldin is a successful wide receiver and uses this success to fund other missions God has him doing. It’s a great inspiration for us to use the talents and abilities God has given in order to carry out His work here on earth.
Here is an excerpt from Boldin’s acceptance speech:
“When I first got into the NFL, nobody could tell me anything. I was living life. I had achieved my dream of one day making it into the NFL, but I soon realized that’s not what life is all about. I realized my purpose in life was not to make it to the NFL and score touchdowns. God put me on this earth for something much bigger than that and I realized and understand what my purpose is now…It’s my prayer and my hope that I can live out the rest of my life honoring God and help as many people as possible.”
