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Louder than words: How Jaguars' Tyler Shatley earned nomination for NFL's most prestigious honor
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- Louder than words: How Jaguars' Tyler Shatley earned nomination for NFL's most prestigious honor
Jaguars offensive lineman Tyler Shatley is one of the quietest, most unflappable and beloved players in the locker room.
When people are asked about him, there's nothing but smiles and sincerity, thanks to not only the player that he is on the field but off the field, too.
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That's why it came as no surprise to left tackle Cam Robinson when it was announced in a team meeting last week that Shatley was the Jaguars' nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.
"It's kind of what you expect from from from somebody with the character like Shat[ley]. Very expected. He's just a great guy. He's just a great human being, so very deserving, very much so deserving," said Robinson, who has been with Shatley since being taken by the Jaguars in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
On Tuesday, that became official when the NFL and team announced Shatley's nomination for the award.
Jaguars guard Tyler Shatley is the only member of this year's team who played on the 2017 Jaguars team that made a playoff run to the AFC championship game.
The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award is considered to be one of the league's most prestigious honors. It recognizes a player for community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field.
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The winner of the award will be announced at the NFL Honors during Super Bowl week next year. All 32 teams nominate a player of their choosing. In 2021, former Los Angeles Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth won the award.
In 2019, defensive lineman Calais Campbell won the award as a member of the Jaguars.
As a nominee, Shatley will wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal for the remainder of the season, starting with the team's Week 14 matchup against the Tennessee Titans .
All 32 nominees will also receive up to a $40,000 donation in their name to the charity of their choice.
"It's just a great honor," Shatley told the Times-Union last week. "I think I said to the guys, there's so many guys doing a lot of stuff in the community. It could have been anybody. [It is] obviously an honor to be the nominee [for Jacksonville]."
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Shatley felt honored but was, as he typically is, humble about accepting the nomination. He doesn't parade his charitable efforts around.
In fact, if you didn't research, there would be very little trace of the fact that Shatley is one of the more impactful players on the Jaguars within the Jacksonville community.
'Why not try to help other people?'
Since joining the Jaguars in 2014, Shatley has spent his time in Jacksonville making rounds at Wolfson Children's Hospital, supporting nonprofits such as Feeding Northeast Florida to help combat food insecurity and making toy donations to the children at the Ronald McDonald House.
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Along with those stops, Shatley has at least two nonprofits close to his heart, including SeaMark Ranch and Sponsored by Grace.
Both nonprofits were featured last week during the team's matchup against the Detroit Lions on Shatley's cleats as part of the NFL's "My Cause, My Cleats" initiative to bring awareness to various charities.
Tyler Shatley's 'My Cause, My Cleats' on display prior to gameday against the Detroit Lions in Week 13.
In a phone interview with the Times-Union last week, Sponsored by Grace Executive Director Ron Armstrong had nothing but good things to say about the impact Shatley has made in a short time since Armstrong saw his idea realized in 2018.
"I think I can get emotional talking about it," Armstrong said when asked what Shatley means to him and his family. "But, really, for me, his consistency has been a huge thing. He's just not one of the guys that's gonna write a check and say, 'hey, do whatever you want to do with it,' he always follows up.
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"He visits our community, which really speaks volumes to me because I'm a big advocate of like, 'hey, if you want to be for your community, build up in your community.'"
Sponsored by Grace aims to "empower children and families across America by sharing the Gospel, connecting them to a local faith family, and meeting their physical needs."
Shatley's donation came after he met Armstrong a bit before he started the charity, during Bible study initially, and the relationship continued when the two met again at a thrift shop in Jacksonville during the summer, somewhere Shatley found himself volunteering his time and clothing, bags or anything that would help.
Most of what Shatley has done for the organization has been financial. The first big donation came in 2020 or 2021, Armstrong said, something that enabled the nonprofit to set up a staffing structure for the organization, which has since doubled. A recent donation helped the organization in building and opening its first coffee shop.
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The coffee shop, Grounds of Grace, will open in Arlington with an expected launch date of the first week of February.
Picture of the 'Grounds of Grace' storefront set to open in February 2023.
Shatley and his family will be at the grand opening and ribbon cutting. His donation helped the coffee shop cover the construction cost and a lot of the building costs. Shatley's name will be presented as well.
"He's always been an advocate for our kids and our communities that are over on the Northside. He's just been a huge advocate for us."
Sponsored by Grace is not eligible for grants, so getting into the coffee shop business is just one way for the nonprofit to raise funds and create another revenue stream to help children and families in need.
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The donations the nonprofit receive go toward various aspects of the charity, including community emergency needs, administration/staff, fuel for impact trips, food nourishment, school supplies/uniforms and impact days.
Shatley, like most people, doesn't support charities simply for recognition.
Jaguars punter Logan Cooke, Shatley and retired center Brandon Linder pose for a picture after making a Christmas toy purchase last year.
Being in the spotlight is new territory considering he's an offensive lineman, but also because he does the things, he does not for himself, but for the people – specifically children – he's impacting.
"It's a tough balance," he said.
"You want to bring attention to people doing good stuff because that kind of encourages more people to do something but, trying to find that balance of bringing attention to it, but also be like this is our doing to spread some love.
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"I've been blessed to be here so long to play the game as long as I have. It means a lot to be able to give back."
Getting an opportunity to work with people like Armstrong and organizations like Sponsored by Grace means a lot. It has enabled Shatley to help give children and families a better life. As a father of three healthy kids, Shatley said, he wants to be able to help other people who aren't in the same circumstance.
"I'm an accident away from not being to play anymore, like it's just by God's grace that I'm still playing because there could have been an injury, an accident, anything ... just the fact I'm still playing, I mean, why not [give back]? I've been blessed, why not try to help other people?"
'I love that guy'
Since joining the Jaguars in 2014 as an undrafted free agent out of Clemson, Shatley has worn numerous hats on the field. He's played all three interior OL positions - center, left and right guard, starting 39 contests and playing in 122 in nine years.
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Ultimately, it's been the consistency that has enabled him to play for one team for so long, whether that's in a reserve role or as a starter.
This year, Shatley stepped in for starter Ben Bartch at left guard, who was placed on the team's reserve/injured list after Week 5. Shatley hasn't missed a beat, grading out as one of the team's best offensive linemen, allowing zero sacks this year in 448 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
It's not just Shatley's ability to play consistently on the field, though, it's his consistency off the field that has been appreciated by teammates, coaches and staff throughout the Jaguars' organization.
Jaguars quarterback (16) Trevor Lawrence greets OL (69) Tyler Shatley at the start of the Jacksonville Jaguars training camp session at the practice fields outside TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, FL Friday, July 30, 2021.
"I really look up to the way he carries himself and not even talking about on the field ... He's always been the same," Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence told the Times-Union last week.
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"Just to see how hard he works that late in his career, especially the role that he played - he was a backup at first and then last year ended up having to play most of the year and then [the] same thing this year and just [he is] always ready [and] never complains."
Lawrence spent much of last season with Shatley as his starting center after Brandon Linder was injured.
How Shatley carries himself has been something Lawrence has grown to admire. He's a player everyone can learn from, Lawrence said.
"I think the way he lives his life is inspiring and just how he cares about people," said Lawrence. "He spends a lot of time doing things for other people and I know that anyone on our team feels, if you needed something, you could ask him for it and he'd be there for you.
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"I think that says all you kind of need to know about him."
Through all of the trials and tribulations the Jaguars have gone through, especially last year, Shatley was someone Lawrence grew to lean on. His perspective as one of the guys up front, but also in life in general, has helped the young QB on and off the field.
The two have talked about everything, from confidence to how the team is playing and everything in between.
"He's always given me a good perspective on how to look at things and just, honestly, not make things bigger than they are," the QB explained. "And I think that's been something that we've talked a lot about, and I'm super appreciative of him."
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Even the little things Shatley does can give players, especially young ones, some guidance. He takes care of his business, Lawrence said. Something as small as picking up after himself, which creates an environment of everyone else following suit, can mean a lot.
"I think it kind of shows the type of person he is. He's always the same. That's one thing I respect about him, too, is [that] no matter who he's around, he never changes," Lawrence said.
"There's a lot of people that get around different people in different groups and they act differently and their personality changes a little bit, things they say. It doesn't matter if he's around the coaches, the players, different position groups, he's always the same and he always acts the same. I love that guy."
Though it seems innocuous, Shatley has not just touched his teammates as far as caring for people. The Jaguars' Events Department has an office with a window that looks out to the lower west club, which players walk by all the time, and Shatley will sometimes stop in and spend time with them. He knows everyone's name by heart.
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A couple of weeks ago, Shatley sought out a member of the Jaguars' public relations staff to wish them a happy birthday, taking the time to get their number from another member.
It's something that he didn't have to do, but did anyway.
An anchor of consistency for Jaguars' offensive line room
It would be an oversight not to get some perspective from the rest of the starters in the Jaguars' O-line room. It's a room that Shatley is in every day and is thought to be the closest group on the roster.
We asked every starter about Shatley last week, and the theme was one word: consistency.
Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Tyler Shatley (69) stretches during day 9 of the Jaguars Training Camp Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022 at the Knight Sports Complex at Episcopal School of Jacksonville. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Robinson: "It's an emotional game, especially playing here, some of the stuff that's gone on here and taken place here. To be that reliable throughout the good, the bad, the ups and downs. Just come in and be consistently you each and every day, I think that just speaks to his character, speaks to the type of teammate, the type of person he is."
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Luke Fortner (center): "Consistency. I think that's something people talk about in football a lot, being consistent on the field. But, I think as a person he's shown me how to be consistent in life. There's ups and downs in life, obviously and no matter what comes at him, he's always the same guy every single day.
"Something [Jaguars offensive line] coach [Phil] Rauscher talks about a lot is just being the same guy every day and Tyler's the epitome of that."
Jawaan Taylor (right tackle): "[He's] the same guy every day. Comes into the building every day, gets his work done and goes home to his family. And everybody just wants to be like that. Just be a great professional and be the same guy every day and somebody that works hard and just does his job. You know, just a guy you could depend on every day on the field and off the field."
Brandon Scherff (right guard): "I've told everybody in here that Tyler is probably one of the best teammates I've ever had. The way he goes about his business, the way he approaches his life. I mean, just, each and every day, how detailed he is and how prepared he is. He's a fantastic guy and he's the best guy for this award so, I'm very happy it was him."
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Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @Demetrius82 .
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars' Shatley honored by Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nomination
