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FSU dominating in-state rivals on Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Honors

As far as character goes, the 'Noles are more than holding their own.

Anquan Boldin
Anquan Boldin
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

So. Florida State football players are thugs? That's rich. And it's even more laughable if you consider the recipients of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. The award is presented annually to exemplars of community service, and last weekend, former Florida State receiver Anquan Boldin became the third Seminole to take home the honor held in such high regard by the NFL that it is actually the finally award bestowed during the NFL Honors, a prize announced even after the MVP.

I wrote earlier about how Boldin followed Seminole greats Derrick Brooks and Warrick Dunn as recipients of the hallowed award-- but just where does that place FSU in the pantheon of former players who have acquitted themselves as gentlemen at the highest level? Only one school, Notre Dame (with four), has accounted for more NFL Man of the Year recipients than Florida State, and the 'Noles find themselves tied with only USC and Alabama as the three programs to have produced almost as many recipients of the award as the Irish.

Notably absent from the list are Miami and Florida, neither of which have ever produced a single Walter Payton NFL Player of the Year Award winner.