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You might have heard that this is the Year of the Freshmen, and maybe youve wondered how we can be so sure after only one weekend of games.There are no guarantees, of course, but this does appear to be an uncommonly strong group, one that includes Harry Giles, Josh Jackson, Markelle Fultz, Jayson Tatum, Lonzo Ball,?Edrice Bam Adebayo?and?DeAaron Fox. Weve already compared this bunch favorably with the storied class of 2013-14, one headlined by the likes of?Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Joel Embiid, Aaron Gordon and Julius Randle.Thats a high standard to match, to say the least. Assuming the freshman class of 2016-17 lives up to its billing, what will that look like, exactly? And what have we seen from these players thus far that indicates they can earn such praise?Heres what we think we know about what a truly special class will look like, and why this current group may merit that label: Arizonas Larry Fitzgerald, Miamis Mike Pouncey and the New York Jets Brandon Marshall are among the 32 players eligible for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.Named for the late Hall of Fame running back, the award recognizes a players community service and performance on the field. The NFL announced the players on Wednesday.The winner will receive a $500,000 donation to his favorite charity and $500,000 in his name to support the NFL and United Ways Character Playbook program in his teams market. The program is an initiative launched in April that focuses on youth character development and healthy relationships.Two of the three finalists will receive a $125,000 contribution to a charity of his choice and $125,000 will go to Character Playbook.Each team nominates a player, and the remaining 29 players will receive $50,000 to the charity of their choice from the NFL Foundation, Nationwide and United Way, and the same amount for the playbook program in their city.The winner will be announced during the NFL Honors show on Feb. 4, the night before the Super Bowl, when The Associated PPress announces its individual player awards, including MVP.ddddddddddddAnquan Boldin, then with the 49ers, won the award last season.The nominees:Arizona -- FitzgeraldAtlanta -- Matt RyanBaltimore -- Steve Smith Sr.Buffalo -- Eric WoodCarolina -- Greg OlsenChicago -- Sam AchoCincinnati -- Andy DaltonCleveland -- Joe ThomasDallas -- Sean LeeDenver -- Virgil GreenDetroit -- Don CareyGreen Bay -- Jayrone ElliottHouston -- Brian CushingIndianapolis -- Joe ReitzJacksonville -- Julius ThomasKansas City -- Alex SmithLos Angeles -- Johnny HekkerMiami -- PounceyMinnesota -- Chad GreenwayNew England -- Rob GronkowskiNew Orleans -- Roman HarperN.Y. Giants -- Eli ManningN.Y. Jets -- MarshallOakland -- Dan WilliamsPhiladelphia -- Jon DorenbosPittsburgh -- Arthur MoatsSan Diego -- Jeremiah AttaochuSan Francisco -- Torrey SmithSeattle -- Cliff AvrilTampa Bay -- Vincent JacksonTennessee -- Jurrell CaseyWashington -- Pierre GarconThe Associated Press contributed to this report. ' ' '