Former Cowboys center Travis Frederick is the recipient of the 2020 George Halas Award, an honor given by the Pro Football Writer’s Association to an NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed.
.@dallascowboys C center @tfrederick72 (Travis Frederick), who was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2019 after missing the entire 2018 season due to a diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome, was selected as the 2020 George Halas Award winner by the PFWA.
— Pro Football Writers (@PFWAwriters) June 22, 2020
Named after Chicago Bears legend George Halas, the award has been given yearly since 1969. Frederick is the second Dallas player to receive the George Halas Award (Roger Staubach, 1980), and comes after a season in which he played 16 high-quality games following a year-long absence due to Guillain-Barré syndrome. Frederick retired early this offseason following the valiant comeback campaign.
Frederick’s road to recovery has been well-chronicled, one that took a toll both mentally and physically. The ordeal likely cut short a prolific career for the 2013 first-round pick. Frederick started 96 games over six NFL seasons, was named to five Pro Bowls and earned three All-Pro honors. The only time he missed in his career was during that lost 2018 season.
Other finalists for this year’s George Halas Award included DT Everson Griffin, OT Russell Okung, TE Darren Waller, and Ravens TE coach Bobby Engram.