Every year each of the 32 National Football League teams gathers its players to vote for the teammate they think deserves the Ed Block Courage Award. The award is presented to the one player on each team who best exemplifies a commitment to sportsmanship and courage and who serves as an inspiration in the locker room. This year's recipient on the Bears is defensive tackle Anthony Adams. Adams' teammates voted him the winner because of his leadership in the clubhouse, his strength and dedication to the game and his professionalism. Adams also is seen as a role mode in the community.
↵Adams came to the Bears four years ago after spending four years with the San Francisco 49ers. He has started 61 of the 101 career games in which he has played.
↵The award, which has been given annually to one player on each team since 1984, is named for Ed Block, a long-time trainer for the Baltimore Colts who was seen as a pioneer in raising awareness of child abuse. The award promotes the prevention of child abuse by raising awareness of the problem and by assisting agencies that provide care and treatment of abused children.