Chris Long won the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, but Marshawn Lynch stole the show.
In a pregame ceremony Sunday before Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, the Raiders running back stood out from the other honorees. While his peers were dressed in suits, Lynch wore a backpack and sweats.
While they stood, Lynch sat down.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE He didn't stop there. As Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt took the microphone and cameras centered on him, Lynch did his best to remain inconspicuous.
Of course, Lynch had a great reason to be there. He was the Raiders' nominee for the Payton award, in recognition of his work with underpriveledged youth in Oakland and the East Bay as a whole.
“We are proud to nominate Marshawn Lynch for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award,” Raiders owner Mark Davis said in a statement in December. “Marshawn’s impact on the field is easy to see. But it is off the field where he really makes a difference. While others may talk the talk, Marshawn walks the walk.”
NFL
Lynch made sure to recognize his roots, too. He met up with Los Angeles Rams cornerback Marcus Peters, a fellow Oakland native, before kickoff.
It sure beats the last time Lynch was at a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots involved.