June 1, 2001

Former Notre Dame football standout Jim Flanigan was named co-winner of the Walter Payton National Football League Man of the Year Award, which recognizes community service as well as playing excellence. Flanigan is the third Notre Dame graduate to win the award, joining Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann (’82) and Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson (’87). Past winners includes 12 members of the Hall of Fame.

Flanigan, an anchor of the Chicago Bears defensive line for seven years, makes a difference with the James Flanigan Foundation, which raises awareness of child literacy through efforts such as the Great American Book Drive, which delivers more than 700,000 books to 400,000 underprivileged children.

His programs include Reach Out & Read Chicago, the Flanigan Foundation Literacy Advocate Award, Mission 99, the James and Susan Flanigan Endowed Scholarship at Notre Dame, and the Jim Flanigan Charity Golf Outing.

Flanigan was his class valedictorian Southern Door High School in Brussels, Wis. At Notre Dame, he started on the defensive line as a junior and senior, earning honorable mention All-America honors in ’93. He twice made the Dean’s List as a business management major and received an academic leadership award.