Commanders star Bobby Wagner named Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, honors mother lost to stroke

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Bobby Wagner's mother always told him she believed he would make it to the NFL, encouraging him after her son's firing from the only job he ever had aside from football.

The Washington Commanders linebacker lost mom Phenia Mae because of complications following a stroke in May 2009 — she was only 47. His charitable work honoring her legacy long after her passing through financial assistance for stroke research and rehabilitation with the Phenia Mae Fund earned Wagner the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award for 2025 on Thursday night.

Wagner gave a shoutout to father Bobby Sr. and thanked him because “I didn’t realize how hard it was to be a father until I got two kids of my own.”

Then he turned his emotional speech to his mother.

“I cannot be up here and not talk about my mom," he said. "She is and will ever be my rock, she’s the reason why I’m standing up here. She’s the person that had confidence in me when I didn’t even have confidence in myself.”

Wagner shared how he had his only other job for about a month before being dismissed. His mom asked why he was working, to which he said he was trying to contribute to the family.

Her response: “Nah, I really feel like you can make it to the league and I want you to focus on that."

“And she said, ‘I got you,'” he said. “Those words always ring in my ear. Every time I try to help somebody, every time I see somebody in need, I say, ‘I got you.’”

The 35-year-old Wagner almost didn't attend Thursday's NFL Honors festivities.

“I really didn't think I was going to win this award. I almost didn't even come to be honest,” he said, “I'm glad I did.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Washington Commanders' Bobby Wagner accepts the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award during the NFL Honors award show, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Washington Commanders' Bobby Wagner accepts the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award during the NFL Honors award show, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Washington Commanders' Bobby Wagner accepts the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award during the NFL Honors award show, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominees stand on the stage during the NFL Honors award show, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Washington Commanders' Bobby Wagner accepts the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award during the NFL Honors award show, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Thousands of Catholic devotees commemorated Good Friday across Latin America with processions and ceremonies re-enacting the crucifixion of Jesus.

In Antigua, a colonial-era city in southern Guatemala, dozens dressed in purple and white robes and made their way under the early morning sun, many of them penitents known as “cucuruchos.” Others carried centuries-old images of Jesus through cobblestone streets.

The city hosts more than a dozen processions throughout Holy Week, set against a backdrop of volcanoes.

Marcos Bautista, 63, said he has attended the Good Friday observances since his father brought him along as a baby in his arms.

“To describe Holy Week in Antigua, there are no words that can capture what it feels like," Bautista said. “It’s a feeling that, just by speaking about what Jesus has done in our lives, moves me deeply.”

In Bolivia, President Rodrigo Paz traveled to the southern city of Tarija to participate in Good Friday ceremonies.

The country is a secular state under its constitution and its leaders refrained from engaging in any religious events between 2006 and 2025. But Paz — who took office last November — broke with precedent by attending Palm Sunday Mass carrying a palm frond.

In the capital city of La Paz, government authorities and military bands accompanied Good Friday processions, in which hooded penitents carried the Holy Sepulcher through the streets.

Bolivia remains a predominantly Catholic country, alongside strong Indigenous spiritual traditions. In some households, it is customary to eat only fish on Good Friday and prepare up to 12 dishes representing the apostles of Jesus, a tradition that has declined in recent years amid an economic crisis.

In Ecuador, where about 80% of the population identifies as Catholic, processions were held across major cities.

In Guayaquil, roughly half a million faithful attended the “Cristo del Consuelo” procession. Amid displays of devotion, some participants walked barefoot, while others wore thorn crowns or dragged crosses.

In the capital, Quito, the “Jesús del Gran Poder” procession drew more than 150,000 faithful, who filled the historic center’s streets with chants and prayers as they accompanied an image of Jesus carrying the cross.

Thousands more climbed the Monserrate Hill in neighboring Colombia. At more than 10,200 feet (3,100 meters) above sea level, they reached the summit in the capital city of Bogotá to attend Mass at the basilica. Similar observances, including reenactments of the Stations of the Cross, were held in other parts of the country, including Medellín.

While the share of Catholics in Latin America has declined over the past decade, the faith remains the region’s largest religion.

In several countries, including Mexico, Peru and Argentina, more than 60% of adults still identify as Catholic, according to 2024 surveys by the Pew Research Center and Latinobarómetro.

AP journalists Moisés Castillo in Antigua, Guatemala; Carlos Valdez in La Paz, Bolivia; Gonzalo Solano and Gabriela Molina, in Quito, Ecuador, contributed to this report.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Penitents from the Nazareno brotherhood carry a statue of Jesus down the steps of the Cathedral Basilica of St. James the Apostle for a Good Friday procession during Holy Week in Tunja, Colombia, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

A hooded penitent from the Nazareno brotherhood waits for the Good Friday procession inside the Cathedral Basilica of St. James the Apostle during Holy Week in Tunja, Colombia, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Young women and girls carry jeweled hearts representing the Virgin Mary at a Good Friday procession during Holy Week in La Paz, Bolivia, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

Hooded penitents participate in a Good Friday procession during Holy Week in La Paz, Bolivia, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

A statue of Jesus Christ with a cross makes its way past electric cables at La Merced church's Good Friday procession during Holy Week in Antigua, Guatemala, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

Women carry children dressed as penitents knows as "cucuruchos" on the sidelines of La Merced church's Good Friday procession during Holy Week in Antigua, Guatemala, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

Penitents carry statues of Jesus Christ representing the Stations of the Cross at a Good Friday procession by La Merced church during Holy Week in Antigua, Guatemala, just before sunrise Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

Musicians dressed as Roman soldiers take part in La Merced church's Good Friday procession during Holy Week in Antigua, Guatemala, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)