Travis Kelce becomes first three-time winner of Nationwide’s Charity Challenge
Kansas City Chiefs’ Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year earns back-to-back title and $35,000 for his chosen charity, courtesy of Nationwide
For the fifth time in six years, the Kansas City Chiefs’ club winner for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, presented by Nationwide, has won Nationwide’s Charity Challenge as tight end Travis Kelce collects his second consecutive, and third overall, title.
With three first-place finishes, Kelce becomes the only player to win Charity Challenge each time he was selected as his club’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. The three-time nominee for the Chiefs previously won the fan-driven contest in 2024-25 and 2020-21. Other Chiefs to capture the Charity Challenge crown over the program’s 11-year history include Patrick Mahomes (2022-23), Tyrann Mathieu (2021-22) and Eric Berry (2015-16).
In recognition of this year’s win, Nationwide will make a $35,000 donation to the charity of Kelce’s choice, the Operation Breakthrough Ignition Lab in Kansas City. Through an ongoing commitment to the kids at Operation Breakthrough for over a decade, Kelce spearheaded The Ignition Lab in 2021 to provide a workforce development program where students ages 14 to 18 spend time each week getting real-world experience in fields ranging from culinary arts to automotive and engineering.
“Congratulations to Travis on becoming the first Charity Challenge champion to repeat,” said Jim McCoy, vice president of sports marketing for Nationwide. “And special thanks to the fans who tallied millions of votes in support of all of the club winners who are doing incredible work in communities around the league.”
Final Charity Challenge voting placed Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins second for the second year in a row, while Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata finished third. Nationwide will make $10,000 and $5,000 donations, respectively, to the charitable beneficiaries of Dawkins and Mailata.
Nationwide created Charity Challenge in 2015 to complement the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year platform, giving fans an opportunity to help their favorite club winners earn additional donations for their designated charities. The national winner of the 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, presented by Nationwide, will be announced during NFL Honors, a primetime awards special that will air on NBC and NFL Network on Thursday, Feb. 5.
To learn more about the how all 32 club winners are making an impact, visit NFL.com/manoftheyear.