NEW YORK (July 11, 2005) -- Carolina linebacker Mark Fields and Pittsburgh running back Jerome Bettis are among the winners of the Pro Football Writers Awards.
Fields, who returned to the NFL after battling cancer, won the George Halas Award. It's given to a player who performed despite injury or personal problems off the field. Bettis won the inaugural Good Guy Award, given to a league or club official for his cooperation with pro football writers.
Fields will miss the upcoming season with a recurrence of Hodgkin's disease. Sidelined in 2003 when the Panthers made the Super Bowl, he returned last season and made the Pro Bowl for the second time. He had 60 tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception.
Atlanta Falcons general manager Rich McKay won the Horrigan Award, which goes to a league or club official for his or her professionalism while helping football writers do their job.
The Philadelphia Eagles' public relations department won the Pete Rozelle Award for its excellence.
Reporter Jerry Green of the Detroit News won the McCann Award for his long and distinguished service.
