In his 14th NFL season, Commanders' linebacker Bobby Wagner has further added to his Hall of Fame resume, becoming just the second linebacker ever to record 14 consecutive seasons with 100+ tackles as he closes in on a staggering 2,000 career stops. However, the field isn't the only place where Wagner has occupied rarefied air this year. The 35-year-old has also been a leader in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia community, and in December became one of just a handful of players in NFL history to be nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year (WPMOY) award four times.
"I always felt like giving back was important because we're in this really unique position to bless a lot of people," Wagner said. "I think that's more impactful than some of the stuff we do on the field."
For nearly a decade and a half, from coast to coast, Wagner has lifted countless individuals with his giveback efforts, and these experiences have also shaped him. Over the years, he has learned how to level up his impact and along the way has become a community role model in the locker room.
The value around charity didn't spring up once Wagner became a professional football player. Rather, it was instilled in him growing up as a kid in Ontario, California.
"My mom and my dad would always talk about the importance of helping others," the linebacker said. "I think that just got bigger as I picked a profession."
What started as putting on football camps in Wagner's early NFL days has grown into more and more philanthropic work helping various populations. From supporting those experiencing homelessness and hosting shopping events to being a champion for historically Black colleges and universities and instilling entrepreneurship literacy in youth, the six-time All-Pro has put his resources towards a number of causes close to his heart.
"Everything that I've given back to is something that's meaningful to me, something that happened to me in some form or fashion, good and bad," Wagner said. "I just think I try to help in a way where I didn't have that guidance per say. So, if I can be that guidance for somebody else, hopefully they can pass whatever I teach onto the next person, and it just grows."
In addition to the number of community service topics he supports and the quantity of giving back, what stands out about Wagner's philanthropy is his consistency. Arriving in Washington at the tail end of his career, Wagner could have felt satisfied by charitable work previously done. Unsure of how long he might be in the area, he perhaps could have chosen to focus his energies solely on football. That wasn't an option in his eyes.
"I wanted to let everybody know that I wanted to be embraced and sometimes being embraced, you have to do the work. A community could look at you and be like, 'Why?' and I just wanted to leave a mark no matter how long I was going to be here," Wagner said.
Now with his third team, Wagner has gained a nuanced understanding of what leaving a mark can look like. When he was a younger player, he had some hesitancy around putting his name behind his community work for fear that it might take away from the cause. Now, he sees that some visibility can be a positive.
"People would be like, 'Hey you need to tell everybody what you did, and I'd say, 'I don't really care to do that,' but what I have found recently is when people know, it brings light to some of the stuff you're doing, and it brings light to have more people help," Wagner said. "So I realize some of the attention, whether I want it or not, helps what I'm trying to do."
In his two seasons in Washington, Wagner has garnered two WPMOY nominations. To his teammates, the fact that the 10-time Pro Bowler continues to be so involved in giving back underscores the type of person he is.
"Some guys they try to fit community service into their schedule, and for him community service is his schedule," fellow veteran Von Miller said. "Just shows you the type of character that he has. Walter Payton Man of the Year is the most prestigious award in our league, and it's just an honor and a privilege to be around and to be able to observe a guy like that."
Watching Wagner be a force for good has also made a distinct impact on the Commanders' younger players. 24-year-old linebacker Jordan Magee noted how he really tries "to hone in and learn from him [Wagner]" as a businessman and philanthropist. By playing with Wagner, rookie wide receiver and punt returner Jaylin Lane has already started to think more broadly about what he can do to make a difference as a professional athlete.
"He sets a good example for us on how we should use this platform we've been given," Lane said.
The same can be said for Jacory "Bill" Croskey-Merritt, who, alongside Lane, spent time visiting patients at Children's National Hospital during the holiday season where he felt the brightness Wagner brought to the day.
"I've learned a lot from Bobby on and off the field. He's the same person every day, and I just see how he treats people," Croskey-Merritt said. "I looked up to him, and for him to give back to other people and kids, I know it makes their days. He's a great human being."
When it comes to his talents and his specific platform, Wagner might be on a different level, but the opportunity to give back is accessible for so many, and that message is one the future Hall of Famer hopes to spread wherever he goes.
"Everybody has a passion. Everybody has something that's meaningful to them. Putting your energy into that could help somebody," he said. "You never know how many people you could help."
