Cal Football’s NFL Player(s) of the Week: 2017 Week 14
This week’s Cal Football NFL Player(s) of the Week aren’t recognized for what they did on the field, but rather what they do away from it.
It’s important to note what players do on the field, but it’s just as important to recognize what they do when they take the pads off. That’s where the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award comes in, and three former Cal football players are their respective team’s nominees for the award. Those three players are this week’s Cal Bears’ NFL Players of the Week for week 14.
Buffalo Bills’ linebacker Lorenzo Alexander, New Orleans Saints’ defensive end Cameron Jordan, and Washington Redskins’ long snapper Nick Sundberg are among the 32 semifinalists for the Man of the Year Award, and all three can proudly be called Golden Bears.
Alexander, now in his 11th season, is involved in a number of off-the-field initiatives, including his own ACES (Accountability, Community, Education, Sports) Foundation, the American Diabetes Assocation, Play 60, and Character Playbook. In October, he organized a day of community service, where “42 Bills players spent their day off at five different locations throughout Buffalo, inspiring local students, families, and youth athletes to make a positive change in the community”. He also acts as a mentor to an inner-city high school football team close to Buffalo, and still hosts football camps in Oakland, California, his hometown.
On the field, Alexander is a two-time Pro Bowler, earning the nod in 2009 with the Redskins as a special teamer, and in 2016 after a career year with Buffalo, when he racked up 12.5 sacks.
Jordan is recognized as the face of the Saints Kids Club, and is also heavily involved in Live United, Character Playbook, Saints Literacy Visits, and Play 60. He represented New Orleans in the NFL’s USO tour last offseason.
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In his seventh NFL season after New Orleans made him a first-round pick in 2011, Jordan ranks eighth in the NFL with 10 sacks. This is his third year with double-digits quarterback takedowns, and he could be headed to his third career Pro Bowl.
Sundberg keeps himself involved in the Redskins Charitable Foundation, and played a big part in helping a 10-year-old Redskins’ fan overcome learning disabilities in the classroom. He also helped to launch the LOL Program (Loads of Love), helping provide washers and dryers to students who don’t always have access to clean clothes for school.
The long snapper life isn’t a glamorous one, but Sundberg has quietly become a source of reliability for the Redskins. This season, he has surpassed 100 career games played, all with Washington, since joining the team in 2010. He entered the league in 2009 as an undrafted free agent with the Carolina Panthers, and also spent time with the Baltimore Ravens before heading down I-95 to the Nation’s Capital.
For information on each of the 32 nominees and how to vote for your favorite, check HERE.
Honorable Mentions:
Los Angeles Chargers’ wide receiver Keenan Allen wasn’t able to keep an NFL-record streak alive, but still put together a strong day. His streak of three consecutive games with 10-plus catches, 100-plus yards, and at least one touchdown, the longest such streak in league history, ended, but he still crossed 100 yards for the fourth straight week. He made six grabs for 111 yards as the Chargers blew out Washington, 30-13. Allen also surpassed 300 career catches.
The Oakland Raiders had a tough day, but Marshawn Lynch was mighty productive when given the chance. He only carried the ball seven times, but racked up 61 yards and twice went for more than 20 yards. He ran for 27 yards in the first quarter, and got Oakland on the board with a 22-yard score in the fourth quarter for his 81st career touchdown. His game on Sunday leaves him 269 yards shy of 10,000 for his career.
Two years after his last college game, wide receiver Darius Powe made his NFL debut with the New York Giants on Sunday, getting a start for a depleted receiving group. Powe made the first two catches of his career, worth 13 yards, in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Unfortunately, he suffered a foot injury and was forced to undergo season-ending surgery.
Next: Cal NFL Player of the Week: Week 13
Another receiver from that class, Trevor Davis, made a huge play for the Green Bay Packers. With his team down a touchdown with under three minutes to play, Davis broke off the longest punt return of his career, 65 yards, to give the Packers great field position and set up the game-tying score. Green Bay would win in overtime.