Robbie Gould continues to be an absolute stud for the San Francisco 49ers. He's missed just one field-goal attempt this season, and his 25 makes rank tied for sixth among all NFL kickers. But Gould's stellar on-field performance has been matched by his ongoing philanthropic efforts. It's that work in the community that has earned him the organization's nomination for the NFL's 2018 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide.
There are 32 total nominees league-wide, and the winner will be announced at NFL Honors on the eve of Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta. A donation of $250,000 will be made to the United Way in that player's honor. In addition, every nominee will have a chance at receiving $25,000 for a charity of their choice in the "Man of the Year Charity Challenge."
Here's how you can help Gould win that money. Head to Twitter and compose a tweet with "#WPMOYChallenge" and "Gould" to cast a vote for the 49ers kicker. Each use, even within the same tweet, will count as an additional vote. Voting is open now and will run until Jan. 13.
"I think it's important to give back to the community because the game of football and life in general has given me a lot," Gould said. "I was raised in a family where giving back and being part of a community that comes together and helps each other out is really important."
Gould has been a staple in the award-winning efforts of the 49ers community relations team. You'll find Gould at each of the team's Community Tuesday's. In addition, here's a look at the work Gould has done on his own, headlined by his nonprofit organization The Goulden Touch.
- Gould founded The Goulden Touch, 501c3 nonprofit organization, in 2011 with a mission to help those in need. In his hometown of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, Gould has contributed over $650,000 to a variety of organizations.
- On March 26, 2018, Gould and his foundation, The Goulden Touch, opened the Ace Hardware Robbie Gould Patient and Family Library at Lurie Children's Hospital following a financial commitment of over $2 million.
- Earlier in March, Gould took part in the Children's Miracle Network's Children's Hospitals Week in Orlando, where he visited with patients and helped the organization raise funds as a guest auctioneer. During his time in Orlando, Gould connected so deeply with one family that he hosted them at the 49ers vs. Giants game on Nov. 12.
- In addition to being a mainstay at 49ers Community Tuesdays, Gould was also selected as one of five players to direct the team's social justice contributions, resulting in a joint 2.35-million-dollar grant with Google.org to the National Center for Youth Law to support the Santa Clara Youth Justice Initiative.
- To aid in education, he gives annual scholarships to enable students to attend Lock Haven University and has supported the Ross Library.
- Gould also donated $150,000 to the construction of Goulden Touch Field, a turf soccer and football field in the West Lawn neighborhood of Chicago, which serves over 12,000 children.
- In order to fund these charitable projects, Gould has been hosting the Robbie Gould Celebrity Golf Tournament since 2010, raising and donating more than $2 million in just the last three years. The Lock Haven version of his golf tournament, which started in 2011, raises nearly $100,000 for the area each year.
