CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Joel Bitonio has been named to Pro Bowls and received All-Pro honors, and Tuesday, he added another feather to his cap.
Bitonio was nominated as the Browns 2022 Walter Payton Man of the Year and will be considered along with 31 other representatives from respective teams for the annual league award to be presented at NFL Honors during Super Bowl weekend.
“The honor of being the Walter Payton Man of the Year for the Cleveland Browns is pretty surreal,” Bitonio said. “You see guys like Joe Thomas who have won the award before and you see across the NFL guys like Drew Brees, J.J. Watt and people who did things on very grand scales and have been great role models for their team and their community. To be named the Man of the Year for me is pretty special.
“I have been part of the Cleveland community for nine years now. [Giving back] is just something that my mom and my dad instilled in me to take care of the people that take care of you. This community has always taken care of me. No matter where you are in life, you can lend a helping hand, be part of the community and give back, and a lot of times, you give back to help somebody, but those interactions fill you up, as well.
“I look back on my upbringing and the coaches and the people who have been part of my life growing up, and I think it is just a cumulative, ‘Thank you.’ I appreciate it, and let’s see what else we can do to help the community.”
Bitonio will be presented the award by the Haslam and Johnson families during an on-field ceremony prior to the Browns game against the Ravens December 17.
“While the entire NFL and Browns fans have watched Joel excel on the field for the past nine seasons, we have been extremely fortunate to see first-hand his contributions to our team and Northeast Ohio as an incredibly high-character man, teammate and leader,” Dee and Jimmy Haslam, Haslam Sports Group Managing and Principal Partners, said. “The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is truly special because it recognizes a player’s passion and dedication to the game and community service, and Joel consistently embodies what this honor represents in every way.”
Bitonio serves as an ambassador for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. He has held a ‘Shop with a Pro’ event during the holidays since 2014 and has funded the event each of the last five years.
Bitonio also supports A Kid Again Ohio, including by hosting a group of families during training camp and supporting the organization through My Cause, My Cleats. A Kid Again Northern Ohio aims to foster hope, happiness, and healing for children with life-threatening conditions and their families.
Bitonio has also been active in various Browns team charitable initiatives, including the Stay in the Game! Get to School, Every Day Network.
Bitonio was selected by the Browns in the second round – 35th overall – of the 2014 NFL Draft and is the longest tenured member of the club. He has started 124 career games and played every snap since 2017.
The ninth-year pro has also been named to an AP All-Pro team four consecutive years (2018-21), including first-team honors in 2021; selected to the PFWA All-NFL team twice (2020 and 2021); and recognized on the Sporting News All-Pro Team in 2020 and 2021.
Bitonio was the Browns’ 2018 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award Winner and he is the only three-time PFWA Dino Lucarelli Good Guy Award recipient, which recognizes a player’s professionalism and cooperation with media members. Joe Thomas is the only other Cleveland player to receive the Good Guy Award more than once.
Bitonio will wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of the season in recognition of his accomplishments on and off the field.
