Quarterback Charlie Batch today was named the Steelers' 2006 Walter Payton Man of the Year for his numerous commitments to charitable causes in the region.
Each National Football League team chooses a man of the year who qualifies for the league's overall winner announced during Super Bowl Week.
Batch established Project CHUCK that hosts a youth basketball league in his native Homestead area.
A separate foundation works with local schools to promote education and rewards elementary school children with field trips for good grades.
A release from the Steelers noted that Batch often accompanies those trips. It also noted that most of his work is funded with his own money.
First Published: December 6, 2006, 5:00 a.m.
