Steve Wright

Steve Wright, a former pro football player who served as the model for the NFL's Man of the Year trophy, died June 1, 2025, at a care facility in Augusta, Georgia at the age of 82.?

Even if Wright had not served as the model for the NFL's Man of the Year Award (now called the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award), he still would have had a noteworthy NFL career. Despite never starting a game for his alma mater, the University of Alabama, Wright was drafted by the Green Bay Packers, kicking off a nine-year career that saw him playing for five different teams before retiring after the 1972 season. Wright was with the Packers during their period of dominance in the 1960s, winning an NFL championship with them in 1965, along with taking home trophies in each of the first two Super Bowls. He later played with the New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears, and St. Louis Cardinals. Wright was with the Giants in 1969 when he served as the model for what would become today's Man of the Year trophy, designed by sculptor Daniel Bennett Schwartz. Though the award was later renamed, the trophy still bears Wright's likeness. He was also the author of the tell-all memoir, "I'd Rather be Wright: Memoirs of an Itinerant Tackle."

The Green Bay Packers mourned his loss on social media, noting that he left behind "a quiet legacy, cast in bronze."?

By Eric San Juan

(Image: Scott Boehm via AP)