Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell has been named the team’s nominee for the 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which honors NFL players for their commitment to philanthropy and excellence on the field.
The announcement took place at the Atlanta Falcons Ticketmaster Studio, where Terrell was surprised by his younger brother, Avieon, a top college football player at Clemson. Avieon told A.J., “No one deserves this more than you. The work that you’re doing on and off the field is being recognized. I just wanted to tell you that you are the Atlanta Falcons’ Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination.”
Terrell’s parents watched from a control room as their son received the news. His mother, Aliya, expressed her pride: “We understood where A.J. came from,” she said. “The grind, the hustle.” His father added: “The journey.”
Reflecting on his selection for this recognition, Terrell said, “I put in so much work this offseason. I’m talking about stressed out in good ways. But it paid off, and this is what it’s all about right here.”
Terrell attended Westlake High School in South Fulton before playing college football at Clemson University. He was drafted by Atlanta as their first-round pick in 2020 and soon after founded the A.J. Terrell Jr. Foundation to support youth in Atlanta.
A key initiative of his foundation is the A.J. Terrell Jr. Academy, which places academic athletic coaches into high schools to help student-athletes with academics and life skills. Since its start in 2023, the Academy has served over 600 students across two high schools—helping most maintain eligibility and improve GPAs—and by 2025 expanded to nearly 1,000 students across three schools.
Other foundation programs include Crownucopia—an event providing care packages tailored for women and children at My Sister’s House shelter—and new digital tools like Team Excel that track student progress.
When longtime teammate Grady Jarrett left Atlanta earlier this year, Terrell decided to step up further in community service efforts: “I saw Grady get it,” he said about previous recognition Jarrett received for similar work. “I know how much of an impact he was… I feel like this year, I did that a lot. I still think I need to do more, so I plan on getting more of these for sure.”
Additional efforts included hosting a celebrity skating fundraiser called “Roller Ball” at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and supporting summer activities through CAMP HBCYouth’s field days with a personal investment exceeding $50,000.
Since starting his foundation five years ago, Terrell has contributed over $1 million toward its programs and events.
“This is an honor and a responsibility of mine,” Terrell said regarding his nomination. “To give back in any way that I can… it’s something that has always been in my heart, to give back to the places all around that shaped me.”