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Dawuane Smoot has been a man for any year during his seven seasons with the Jaguars
- Story by
- Dawuane Smoot has been a man for any year during his seven seasons with the Jaguars
Dawuane Smoot knew his wife Aumari was up to something during a Jaguars ' off day on Nov. 28.
"I knew she was trying to keep something from me the whole time," said the Jacksonville Jaguars ' seventh-year outside linebacker following the team's practice on Wednesday at the Miller Electric Center. "She definitely knew. She kept asking random questions that she usually doesn't ask. So I had a feeling something was coming up but I didn't know what."
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He found out after walking through the door for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of The Elsie Academy, a bilingual early-learning center that Smoot and his wife were opening on the Southside, near the University of North Florida campus.
It was a double celebration because it was announced at the time that Smoot would be the Jaguars' nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
Dawuane Smoot wants to make an impact
As a professional football player, Smoot has any number of goals to reach for: All-Pro, Pro Bowl, All-AFC, for example.
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But being a Man of the Year nominee goes beyond anything he does on the football field.
Jacksonville Jaguars outside linebacker Dawuane Smoot is surprised at The Elsie Academy, a learning center he is opening near the University of North Florida campus, with the news that he is the team's 2023 nominee as NFL Man of the Year.
"It was surprising," he said in an understatement. "It means a lot. It really shows that people are seeing and understanding how big of an impact [an NFL player] can make ... not for me but being an example for everyone."
The Elsie Academy (named for Aumari Smoot's grandmother) will open initially for infants through preschool, expanding to kindergarten age next year. Smoot said the bilingual aspect of the school will go both ways: children who have grown up speaking English will learn Spanish and the other way around.
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"When they get older they're going to need the bilingual ability," he said. "We're living in a very multicultural world."
But the school is only part of what Smoot has done in the community. Since his rookie season in 2017, he has worked with charities involving food insecurity, education and youth development.
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Among the groups he has worked with are Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Northeast Florida, Better Dads Society and the Jacksonville Arts and Music School.
Smoot has participated in food distributions with local food banks and the annual "Shop with a Jaguar," providing children from underserved areas of Jacksonville with a holiday shopping spree.
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But he wanted to do more. The Elsie Academy offers a curriculum centered around Biblical principles and individualized academic attention, with a nurturing environment that promotes excellence.
Doug Pederson, Josh Allen praise Smoot
Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said Smoot was one of the veterans he "leaned on" when he first took the job in 2022.
"A great person ... a great man," Pederson said on Wednesday. "[The nomination] says a lot about who he is as a person off the field. I'm excited to see where this nomination goes."
Jags outside linebacker Josh Allen said Smoot and his wife launching a school is "LeBron-level," referring to the NBA star who has donated time and money to numerous charitable causes.
Dawuane Smoot of the Jaguars forces Tennessee quarterback Will Levis to fumble on a sack he made Nov. 19 at EverBank Stadium.
"He's a great guy, great teammate, great big brother," Allen said. "He's a tremendous father and a tremendous person outside of football."
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Pederson said Smoot has also shown his character in coming back from a devastating Achilles injury he suffered last year in the Jets game, on the road. He missed the rest of the season and the first five games this season but has returned to record 14 tackles, a sack, two quarterback hits and a forced fumble in the last seven games.
Smoot's 94 games are the most by an active Jaguars defensive player. He has career numbers of 123 tackles, 62 quarterback hits, 23.5 sacks and five forced fumbles. His sacks are ninth on the Jaguars all-time list.
"The adversity that he just went through from the end of last season to the start of this season says a lot about him, his character and who he is," Pederson said. "We're fortunate to have him on our team. He's playing good and playing better each week."
Smoot will be one of the captains for Sunday's game at Cleveland . His hometown is Groveport, Ohio, about 150 miles away.
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Smoot will wear a commemorative helmet decal
As a nominee, Smoot will wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of the season in recognition of his accomplishments on and off the field.
All 32 nominees will be recognized for their achievements during the week leading up to Super Bowl LVIII. The 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year winner will be announced during NFL Honors, a prime-time awards special to air nationally on CBS on Thursday, Feb. 8.
Each nominee will receive up to a $55,000 donation, and the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award winner will receive a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice. All donations are made possible by the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.
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The Jaguars have had one player win the NFL Man of the Year Award, Calais Campbell in 2019.
Jags fans can support Smoot
Jaguars fans can participate in Nationwide's annual Charity Challenge, a social media and online contest that allows them to show support for their favorite Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee.
Fans can vote on X (formerly Twitter) by posting #WPMOYChallenge along with the name/X handle of their chosen nominee (Smoot is @Bigsmoot_94) or by voting directly on NFL.com/ManOfTheYear.
The nominee who receives the most collective hashtag mentions and votes will win an additional $35,000 donation from Nationwide to the charity of their choice, with the runner-up receiving $10,000 and the third-place winner receiving $5,000. Charity Challenge voting takes place from Dec. 5, 2023-Jan. 8.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Dawuane Smoot's leadership, charity work earns Man of the Year nomination
