Although he's certainly not the most popular player among 31 other fanbases and the NFL league office as well, Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair has earned a pristine reputation within the organization that he's called home for the last two seasons. Al-Shaair is viewed by teammates and coaches as a locker room leader, an extension of head coach DeMeco Ryans on the field. And evidently, based on today's announcement, Al-Shaair's off-the-field reputation is in a pretty solid place as well.
According to a Thursday morning press release by the Houston Texans, Azeez Al-Shaair has officially been named the franchise's Club Winner for the 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. Each year, all 32 NFL teams name their nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, a distinction given each year to one player across the National Football League to the individual who "excels on the field and show exceptional dedication to uplifting their communities with consistent, positive impact."
"Azeez represents everything it means to be a Houston Texan," Texans Chair and CEO Cal McNair said. "His leadership and generosity shine in everything he does, whether he's elevating our defense on the field or investing his time and heart into others off the field. Azeez makes our team and our community better, and we're incredibly proud to recognize him as our Walter Payton Man of the Year."
Per the press release, Al-Shaair has immersed himself in various community efforts since arriving in Houston ahead of the 2024 season. He's worked with orgnizations such as United Way, Covenant House, and the Community Huddle Ticket Program, which gives away tickets for every Texans home game to students from the HYPE Freedom School and Muslim Organization of Sports, Socials, and Education.
"It means everything to me because when I see these kids, I just see myself," Al-Shaair said. "As a kid, I always wished I had the opportunity to meet an NFL player to be inspired by. I went through the same highs and lows to get to where I am today, but I'm here because of all the hard work and things I endured to get here. I just want to give people hope."
Since the organization's debut season in 2002, only one Texans player has been named the leaguewide Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner... in 2017, franchise icon J.J. Watt was named the recipient of the award in large part due to his work in raising millions of dollars for Hurricane Harvey relief in Houston and the entire gulf coast region. Watt was also named the 2017 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year.