FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Rosevelt Colvin has been selected by his New England Patriots teammates as the recipient of this year's Ed Block Courage Award. The honor is annually bestowed upon the player who best exemplifies the principles of sportsmanship and courage. Colvin and 31 other NFL team recipients will be presented their awards at the 27th Annual Ed Block Courage Award Banquet in Baltimore in March.
"I feel very honored to win this award and represent the New England Patriots," Colvin said. "To be able to recover from the injury that I had and to be able to come back out and contribute to the team is very satisfying. I appreciate the support of my teammates, the organization and the coaching staff."
Colvin signed with the Patriots as an unrestricted free agent in 2003 after establishing himself as one of the NFL's premier outside linebackers while with the Chicago Bears. He led the Bears with 10.5 sacks in consecutive season (2001-02) and was among the most coveted free agents in 2003. He started the first two games of the 2003 season for the Patriots and recorded a pair of sacks before suffering a severe, season-ending hip injury early in a game at Philadelphia on Sept. 14, 2003.
After a rigorous 10-month recovery period, Colvin returned to the field during the Patriots 2004 preseason. He appeared in every game for the Patriots this season, playing an important role on a defense that finished tied for second in the league in points allowed (16.3 ppg) on a team that finished 14-2. He finished the season with 38 total tackles, including five sacks, which was tied for third on the team.
The Courage Award is named after Ed Block, who was a longtime head trainer for the Baltimore Colts and a respected humanitarian whose most passionate cause was helping children. Officially formulated 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.
The first Ed Block Courage Award was presented in 1978 to Baltimore Colts' defensive end, Joe Ehrmann. Following the Colts departure from Baltimore in 1984, the scope of the Award expanded to include one player from every team in the NFL. The accolade has become one of the most esteemed honors bestowed upon a player in the league, primarily since the recipient is selected by his peers. Recipients are viewed as inspirations to their teammates since they are often players who have overcome devastating injuries or tragedies in their personal lives to return to the top level of competition that is the NFL.
