Ben Garland is the Falcons’ Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee

Ben Garland got his first NFL start on Thursday Night, and I’m deliberately typing this story up before said game so whatever happened won’t influence this story. That’s because this is inherently a feel-good story about a man who does a lot for the community, and I didn’t want to ruin that.

As you’ll note by the title, Ben Garland is this year’s Falcons nominee for Walter Payton Man of the Year. He’s a former military man who does a lot for the military, and as the link below notes, has been involved in more than 60 events in the community over the last three seasons. He is, by all accounts, just a good guy doing good work, so I’m happy he’s gotten this.

The NFL-wide award is probably going to J.J. Watt, who raised millions of dollars and gave his time to help flooding victims in Houston, but Garland is a deserving choice for the Falcons. Kudos to him for being a great guy.