DWIGHT FREENEY CHOSEN AS RECIPIENT FOR ED BLOCK COURAGE AWARD
Defensive end Dwight Freeney has been chosen by his Indianapolis Colts teammates as the club's 2010 recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award, the Colts announced Tuesday.
The award is an annual recognition for courageous play by an individual. Freeney is one of 32 National Football League players cited for the award. The players of each member club nominate an individual annually, and those chosen are honored at a banquet in Baltimore each March.
Freeney is in his ninth season with the Colts and has started 111 of 130 career games since being the team's first-round draft pick in 2002 out of Syracuse. Freeney has totaled 337 career tackles and a franchise-best 92.0 sacks and 41 forced fumbles. A five-time Pro Bowl and three-time First-Team All-Pro choice, he led the NFL with 16 sacks in 2004, becoming the Colts' first NFL sack leader. He owns five three-sack games and a career-best nine-game sack streak, while he shares the NFL record with Robert Mathis with eight consecutive games with a sack to start a season.
"Dwight is known for taking tremendous care of his body, but he's also one of the toughest guys in the league," Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell said. "He returned to Pro Bowl form in 2008 after recovering from a Lisfranc injury in 2007, and to fight back and not only play, but play extremely well in the Super Bowl last season only a couple of weeks after suffering a severe ankle injury, that shows you how tough he is.
"He is very deserving to be the recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award."
Block was the head trainer of the Colts from 1954-1977. He served as trainer emeritus with the club until his death in 1983.
The past Ed Block Award recipients for the Colts are DB-Marlin Jackson (2009), C-Jeff Saturday (2008), OG-Ryan Lilja (2007), WR-Reggie Wayne (2006), LB-Cato June (2005), LB-Gary Brackett (2004), DE-Chad Bratzke (2003), LB-Rob Morris (2002), QB-Peyton Manning (2001), DT-Bernard Whittington (2000), LB-Cornelius Bennett (1999), LB-Jeff Herrod (1998), DB-Jason Belser (1997), DB-Eugene Daniel (1996), WR-Wendell Davis (1995), DT-Tony McCoy (1994), DT-Steve Emtman (1993), OT-Kevin Call (1992), LB-Quintus McDonald (1991), NT-Harvey Armstrong (1990), LB-Chip Banks (1989), OG-Ben Utt (1988), LB-Barry Krauss (1987), DB-Anthony Young (1986), OT-Karl Baldischwiler (1985) and LB-Cliff Odom (1984).
The 32nd-annual Ed Block Courage Award dinner is scheduled during March in Baltimore, Maryland. Proceeds from the affair benefit the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation in Baltimore. The Ed Block Courage Award Foundation's goal is to establish homes for abused children in each NFL city. Indianapolis established an Ed Block Courage home (Children's Bureau) in October of 2000. The home is part of a national support network for abused children. Atlanta, Baltimore, Buffalo, Chicago, Carolina, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Miami, New York (Giants), Oakland, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Seattle have already established homes.
