Lead by example. 🙏
Shaquil Barrett was selected by his teammates as our 2023 Ed Block Courage Award recipient.
📰: https://t.co/fUcAZsTWt9 pic.twitter.com/wDYqEpcc8T
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 4, 2024
Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge rusher Shaquil Barrett has been a huge contributor on the field, but the team has voted to give him an award that commemorates his characteristics off of the field, too.
The rest of the team voted for Barrett as their 2023-24 recipient for the Ed Block Courage Award. According to the team, the award is meant to exemplify those who exhibit “professionalism, strength, dedication, and serve as community ambassadors.” Based on those qualities, Barrett is certainly a worthy candidate.
Barrett showed all these qualities after his offseason. He was initially recovering from an Achilles injury he suffered in 2022, and during that offseason, his daughter Arrayah Barrett died tragically at two years old after an accident at the family pool. Barrett not only recovered from the Achilles injury, but he also founded the Arrayah Hope Foundation which strives to offer free swim lessons to kids in Tampa and in Denver, Colorado, where he played before coming to the Bucs.
On the field, Barrett has been a notable presence for the Bucs. Aside from contributing to a Super Bowl victory, Barrett has amassed 186 solo tackles, 49 sacks, two fumble recoveries and four interceptions in 75 games for Tampa Bay.
Barrett will be honored at the 46th Annual Ed Block Courage Awards on April 1.
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