Tag: Ed Block Courage Award

Donte Jackson named Panthers’ Ed Block Courage Award winner

Donte Jackson has been named the Panthers’ 2023 recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award.

Donte Jackson has had a year that’s worthy of recognition, and he got it on Wednesday.

As announced this afternoon, the sixth-year cornerback has been named the Carolina Panthers’ 2023 recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award.

The award, which recognizes a player from each team who “exemplifies commitments to the principles of sportsmanship and courage,” honors Jackson’s leadership and his comeback—one that may have seemed improbable at one point to the 28-year-old.

Jackson tore his Achilles tendon in last year’s Thursday night victory over the Atlanta Falcons. He told reporters this past summer that his recovery from the devastating injury wasn’t an easy trail to navigate.

“I spent a lot of time throughout this process just thinkin’ like, ‘Man, am I ever gonna feel the same?” he said back in July. “Am I ever gonna have the same ability? So just bein’ out here and just feelin’ back to normal, just feelin’ back good and just movin’ around and being back with the guys—it’s just a blessing.”

The former second-round pick has since turned in a solid comeback campaign. Pro Football Focus currently has Jackson graded at a 67.2 in coverage, the second-highest of his career.

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Saints select Foster Moreau for Ed Block Courage Award

The New Orleans Saints recognized tight end Foster Moreau with the 2023 Ed Block Courage Award after he overcame Hodgkin’s lymphoma:

This is cool: The New Orleans Saints recognized tight end Foster Moreau as their recipient for the 2023 Ed Block Courage Award after he overcame Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This award, the Saints said in a statement, was “created in honor of the former head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts to annually recognize one player from every NFL team who best exemplifies a commitment to sportsmanship and courage.”

All 32 teams select a recipient for the award via vote, and Moreau was an easy fit. His perseverance in the face of adversity is inspiring. That he was able to overcome a battle with cancer and quickly return to the field is mighty impressive.

Moreau, 26, is a New Orleans native who starred at Jesuit High School before his four-year run with the LSU Tigers. He was teammates with Saints quarterback Derek Carr on the Raiders and teamed up with him again this season, catching 18 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown.

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Broncos name RB Javonte Williams their 2023 Ed Block Courage Award winner

For his courage in the face of adversity, the Broncos named RB Javonte Williams their 2023 Ed Block Courage Award winner. Congrats, 33!

In an announcement in a team meeting this past Thursday (Dec. 7), Dennver Broncos running back Javonte Williams was named the team’s 2023 Ed Block Courage Award winner. Each year, the Ed Block Courage Award helps honor players who exemplify commitment to the principles of sportsmanship. In Williams’s case, the selection process for him and other recipients came from their teammates for exceptional courage, great character, and inspiring effort.

Perhaps a bulk of the reason Williams got the nomination from his teammates is due to the resiliency he has displayed over the last year. Williams suffered a devastating injury in October of 2022, tearing the ACL and LCL in his right knee, which sidelined him for the rest of the 2022 NFL season. Williams’s hard work rehabbing his injury allowed him to return to the field this season.

The Ed Block Courage Award honors Ed Block, a longtime head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts, a pioneer in his profession, and a respected humanitarian. It became a league-wide initiative that was first awarded in 1984. Congrats to Williams for the well-deserved honor.

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Anthony Walker Jr.’s monumental week continues as Browns honor him with Ed Block Courage Award

The veteran linebacker gets his second award of the week.

The Cleveland Browns have a strong leader in linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. He has been well respected amongst his peers in the locker room ever since his arrival to Cleveland before the 2021 season. However, he is now getting recognition for what he is doing outside of the building as well. First, he was named the Browns’ Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee earlier this week. Now, he has also been named the team’s Ed Block Courage Award recipient of 2023 as well.

Each team nominates one player every year who meets the following qualifications:

“The Ed Block Courage Award is given annually to a member of each of the 32 NFL teams who best exemplifies the qualities of Ed Block – the former head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts – based on courage, compassion, commitment and community.”

Who knows how much longer Walker Jr. has in a Browns’ uniform? However, the impact he has made on his teammates and the community during his time in Cleveland has been notable. He now finally gets the recognition he deserves.

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Ravens mascot Poe recognized as honorary Ed Block Courage Award winner

Poe, the Baltimore Ravens mascot, was recognized as an honorary Ed Block Awardee

Poe, the Baltimore Ravens mascot, has been recognized as an honorary Ed Block Courage Award winner for the 2022 season. Poe suffered a torn ACL in a youth football game during halftime of the Ravens’ final preseason contest. The mascot had to be carted off the field, with some not believing it was real at first.

While Poe was out, the Ravens called upon their former mascots Edgar and Allan — who had been retired in 2008 — to take over for him while he recovered. In Week 17, Poe made his miraculous return as the one and only mascot of the Ravens.

Congratulations to Poe for a unique achievement in mascot history.

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Did playing for the Texans change Justin Reid’s expectations in automobiles?

Kansas City Chiefs Justin Reid has gone from liking fast cars to nice trucks more. Did playing for the Houston Texans change that?

The Kansas City Chiefs changed Justin Reid.

The former Houston Texans 2018 third-round safety developed into a key contributor on the backend of Steve Spagnuolo’s defense and enabled the AFC West champions since 2016 to get over the hump and win their second Super Bowl in the Patrick Mahomes era. Reid had seven combined tackles as part of his 74 defensive snaps and five special teams snaps in the Chiefs’ 38–35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.

However, the question must be asked if the Texans had any influence on changing Reid, specifically when it comes to his taste in automobiles.

The Stanford product took to Twitter Feb. 25 and opined on how his view of cars and trucks has changed over the years.

“When I was younger, I always wanted a fast car,” Reid wrote. “Now that I’m older tho, there’s nothing better than having a real nice truck.”

According to WANE-TV, while the state of Texas is 25th when it comes to share of vehicles in the state being trucks at 19.2%, the Lone Star State leads the nation in truck sales. In Louisiana, Reid’s home state as he grew up in Prairieland, 23.6% of the vehicles are trucks. Where Reid plays in the NFL currently in Missouri is 23rd at 19.6%, and California, where Reid played college ball, is 46th at 11.7%.

Reid played for the Texans from 2018-21 in 57 games, 53 of which he started. One of the main sponsors for the Texans is Ford, and one of their biggest sellers annually is their Ford F-Series pickup. Though not a sponsor of the Texans, General Motors also has a “Texas Edition” of their Chevrolet Silverado.

The younger brother of Eric Reid forged his own identity in Houston and earned the respect of his teammates as exemplified in his securing the 2019 Ed Block Courage Award in just his second season.

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Eddie Jackson named Bears’ Ed Block Courage Award recipient for 2022

The Bears have named Eddie Jackson as the team’s 2022 Ed Block Courage Award winner.

The Chicago Bears have named safety Eddie Jackson the team’s 2022 Ed Block Courage Award winner.

The Ed Block Courage Award is given to a player on each of the 32 NFL teams who “best exemplifies a commitment to sportsmanship and courage and serves as an inspiration in the locker room.” Recipients are voted by their teammates.

Past Bears winners of the Ed Block Courage Award include Tarik Cohen, Roquan Smith, Allen Robinson, Zach Miller and Kyle Long.

Jackson is coming off an impressive 2022 season, where led the Bears with four picks — and that was in just 12 games, as he missed the final five after suffering a season-ending foot injury. Jackson added 80 total tackles, including one for a loss, six pass breakups and led the team with two forced fumbles.

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Vikings WR Blake Proehl name recipient of Ed Block Courage Award

The wide receiver has been with the Vikings since 2021

Each team names a recipient for the Ed Block Courage Award and the Minnesota Vikings have named theirs. On Tuesday, wide receiver Blake Proehl was named the Vikings recipient of the award.

The award is named after Block, who was a trainer for the Baltimore Colts and it is given to someone who exemplifies courage and sportsmanship.

An undrafted free agent out of East Carolina, Proehl is the son of longtime NFL wide receiver Ricky Proehl. He tore his ACL in August of 2021 and worked his way back to being healthy. On the way to being healthy, Proehl worked his way back with music and hard work.

Anthony Barr won the award in 2021 and Cam Smith did in 2020.

Romeo Okwara is the 2022 winner of the Lions Ed Block Courage Award

The Ed Block Courage Award is give out by each team to a player who exemplifies great sportsmanship in overcoming injury or adversity

Romeo Okwara hasn’t seen much action in the 2022 season. But the mere fact he’s played at all helped the Detroit defensive end win the Ed Block Courage Award for the Lions.

The team proudly announced Okwara as this year’s winner of the prestigious award. The Ed Block Courage Award isn’t about on-field performance. It is an honor given to a player who overcomes hardship or injury and displays a great attitude and sportsmanship.

That certainly describes Okwara. He tore his Achilles in Week 4 of the 2021 season and labored to get back on the field. It took over a year of hard work and intensive rehab, but Okwara returned for the final five weeks of the season. He’s played well, bagging two sacks in limited duty while helping mentor young defenders like Josh Paschal and James Houston.

Congrats to Okwara on the well-deserved award!

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Jameis Winston wins 2022 Ed Block Courage Award in a vote by his teammates

Jameis Winston won the Saints’ 2022 Ed Block Courage Award in a vote by his teammates:

Jameis Winston received the New Orleans Saints’ 2022 Ed Block Courage Award after a vote by his teammates, who recognized Winston’s resolve in exiting and entering the lineup over the last few years. Winston has had to manage a series of injuries in each of his two years as the Saints’ starting quarterback, and the coaches chose to keep him sidelined after turning to Andy Dalton this year.

The Ed Block Courage Award highlights players who have persevered through adversity; Kwon Alexander won the award in 2021, with Terron Armstead recognized in 2020. Other past award-winners include Sheldon Rankins and Jermon Bushrod. All of them have dealt with severe injuries or personal challenges. Winston is in rare company. Here’s each of the Saints’ Ed Block Courage Award winners over the last 10 years:

  • 2021: Kwon Alexander
  • 2020: Terron Armstead
  • 2019: Sheldon Rankins
  • 2018: Jermon Bushrod
  • 2017: Michael Mauti
  • 2016: Tim Hightower
  • 2015: Delvin Breaux
  • 2014: Patrick Robinson
  • 2013: Marques Colston
  • 2012: Mark Ingram II

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