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DAVIE (CBSMiami) – The Miami Dolphins have nominated center Mike Pouncey as its 2016 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year candidate.

The team announced the decision on Wednesday.

The Dolphins selected Pouncey in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft.  He has been selected to the Pro Bowl three times and was chosen as one of the franchise's 50 greatest players last season.

Pouncey's teammates selected him as a 2016 season captain.

According to the Dolphins, Pouncey purchases tickets every week so that children who otherwise would not be able to attend games are able to go.

Pouncey also hosts a charity weekend every summer with his twin brother, Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey, in their hometown of Lakeland, Florida.  The weekend benefits the Team Pouncey Foundation.

The Dolphins also say that Pouncey is very active with local charities and that he partners with several current and former teammates around the South Florida community.

It's impressive what Pouncey does off the field but Miami needs him back on the field.

The Dolphins are currently holding a 7-5 record, one game behind the Denver Broncos for the final Wild Card spot in the AFC.

This season Miami has gone 4-1 with Pouncey in the lineup but just 3-4 when he has been out due to injury.

Two of the games that Pouncey played this season were Jay Ajayi's pair of 200-yard rushing contests.

Former Dolphins center Dwight Stephenson (1985), quarterback Dan Marino (1998) and defensive end Jason Taylor (2007) have each won the award while playing for Miami.

The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award recognizes a player for his excellence on and off the field. The award, which was established in 1970 and renamed in 1999 after the late Hall of Fame Chicago Bears running back, Walter Payton, is considered the league's most prestigious honor.

Each team nominates one player who has had a significant positive impact on his community to be considered for the national award.