FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty and running back James White have been selected as the recipients of the 2020 Ed Block Courage Award. The honor is bestowed annually upon a player or players who best exemplify the principles of courage and sportsmanship while also serving as a source of inspiration. McCourty and White, along with award winners from the 31 other NFL teams, will be honored at the 43rd Annual Ed Block Courage Awards Banquet. Details on the event will be determined at a later date.
McCourty and his wife, Michelle, suffered the loss of their daughter as their pregnancy resulted in a stillbirth at nearly eight months this past spring. White's parents were involved in a motor vehicle accident in South Florida early in the 2020 season. While his mother was left in critical condition, his father did not survive.
A captain for 10 consecutive seasons, McCourty started all 16 games in 2020 and finished with 68 total tackles, two interceptions with one returned for a touchdown and six passes defensed. McCourty originally joined the Patriots as a first-round draft pick out of Rutgers in 2010. He has started every game that he has played during his NFL career, earned four Pro Bowl berths and is a member of the Patriots 2010s All-Decade team.
White, a team captain for the third straight season, played in 14 games in 2020 and finished with 121 yards rushing and two touchdowns and second on the team with 49 receptions for 375 yards and one touchdown. He originally joined the Patriots as a fourth-round draft pick in the 2014 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin. He has the most receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns by a running back in the NFL since the 2015 season.
Past New England Patriots Ed Block Courage Award recipients include Julian Edelman (2019), Nate Ebner (2018), Matthew Slater (2017), Nate Solder (2016), Jerod Mayo (2015), Rob Gronkowski (2014), Sebastian Vollmer (2013), Logan Mankins (2012), Marcus Cannon (2011), Wes Welker (2010) and Tom Brady (2009).
The Ed Block Courage Award is named after Ed Block, a long-time head athletic trainer for the Baltimore Colts and a respected humanitarian dedicated to helping children. Recipients are often players who have overcome devastating injuries or tragedies in their personal lives to return to top-level competition in the NFL.
Officially organized in 1986, the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that is sanctioned by the NFL and the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS). The foundation is committed to heightening awareness of the plight of abused children in cities throughout the league. Proceeds from the annual Courage Awards event benefit the Foundation's Courage House National Support Network For Kids.
For more information on the Ed Block Courage Award, visit https://www.edblock.org/courage-award/
