Life is pretty good for Daron Payne these days. 

After putting together a Pro Bowl 2022 campaign that included tying the franchise record for sacks by an interior defensive lineman, along with setting career highs in tackles (64), pass breakups (5) and quarterback hits (20), the 2018 first-round pick was rewarded with a multiyear contract extension that will keep him in Washington for the foreseeable future.

Last weekend, Payne added another accolade to his resume: the Washington Player of the Year, which was given to him by the Quarterback Club at the Burgundy & Gold gala. It was a tremendous honor -- one that has been around since 1969 and given to the likes of Sam Huff, Billy Kilmer and Joe Theismann. 

Payne could have talked about himself as he addressed the room during his acceptance speech, but he chose to highlight someone else instead: his mom. 

"I'm so grateful for her," Payne said. "Happy Mother's Day. I love you so much." 

The recognition at the gala is the latest in a long list of moments Payne has used to remind his mother how much she means to him. Back in 2020, he surprised her with a new house, fulfilling a promise that he made to her. He even posted a video of it on Twitter with one of the first shots being his mother stepping out of a car wiping away tears. 

"I'm grateful for the family god blessed me with and there's nothing in the world I wouldn't do for them," Payne wrote in the post.

Getting a shoutout at a gala isn't quite the same as getting a house, but it was another chance for Payne to say how much he cares about her. 

"She's been through so much in her life," Payne said. "She deals with lupus and kidney failure on the daily, but she still made sure to put me first and make sure she could show up for me every day." 

Payne is getting ready for another season with the Commanders, and he ended his acceptance speech by saying that he's "ready to go out next year and do my thing." 

And no matter what the 2023 season has in store for Payne, his mother will be there to cheer him on. 

You can check out Payne's full acceptance speech below.