Cleveland Browns OL Alex Mack has been chosen by his teammates to receive the 2015 Ed Block Courage Award. The Ed Block Courage Award is given annually to a member of each of the 32 NFL teams who exemplifies the qualities of Ed Block, the former head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts, based on courage, compassion, commitment and community. All 32 winners will be honored at an event in Baltimore this offseason.
"Alex is an integral member of our offensive line and a respected leader in our locker room and community, which makes him more than worthy to receive this award from his teammates," said Head Coach Mike Pettine.
Mack, who spent the final 11 weeks of the 2014 season on injured reserve, has started and played every offensive snap in all 11 Browns games this season. Prior to fracturing his fibula in the second quarter of Cleveland's 31-10 victory over Pittsburgh in Week 6 last year, the two-time Pro Bowl selection started 85 games and played 5,279 consecutive offensive snaps to open his career after being selected No. 21 overall by Cleveland in the 2009 NFL Draft.
Behind Mack and the Browns offensive line, Cleveland has registered 3,119 passing yards in 2015, the third-most through the first 12 weeks of a season in franchise history. That total also ranks eighth in the NFL this year.
In 2015, the Browns also nominated Mack for the second time in as many years for the NFL's Salute to Service Award in recognition of his dedication and commitment to those who serve our country. This past offseason, he embarked on his second NFL-USO Tour to visit troops in Southwest Asia and the Middle East. In 2011, the seventh-year player travelled more than 10,000 miles overseas to interact with troops serving in the Middle East. Mack, who has multiple family members who have served or are serving in military branches, has consistently supported Northeast Ohio servicemen and servicewomen since joining the Browns through multiple First and Ten efforts involving military personnel.
Mack has also participated in the team's regular First and Ten community visits this year, including Browns PLAY 60 events with Northeast Ohio youth and a visit to the Kids in Need Resource Center with the Browns offensive line.
Mack will be presented the 2015 Ed Block Courage Award Tuesday at Providence House's 20th Annual Deck the House Benefit at FirstEnergy Stadium, where the dinner program will begin at 6 p.m. OL Joe Thomas and his wife, Annie, will serve as honorary co-chairs for the event. DL Desmond Bryant, the Browns 2014 Ed Block Award recipient, will also attend the event.
Providence House fights to end child abuse and neglect by protecting at-risk children, empowering families in crisis and building safe communities for every child. For more information, visit www.provhouse.org.
Launched in June 2014, the Cleveland Browns First and Ten campaign is the team's community program, established to inspire fans to #give10 and help their communities by volunteering for 10 hours each year. Through First and Ten, the Browns are the only NFL club to promote a long-term volunteering program that unifies the team and its entire fan base, with the goal of impacting every individual's city across the globe, as well as the franchise's local community. All Browns fans are encouraged to join the volunteering effort by signing the First and Ten pledge on the team's website and by sharing their stories with #give10. For more information, visit ClevelandBrowns.com/community.
Cleveland Browns Ed Block Courage Award winners:
1984 WR Willis Adams
1985 DE Carl Hairston
1986 TE Ozzie Newsome
1987 RB Earnest Byner
1988 LB Eddie Johnson
1989 T Cody Risien
1990 RB Kevin Mack
1991 CB Mark Harper
1992 WR Lawyer Tillman
1993 WR Patrick Rowe
1994 LB Carl Banks
1995 DB Bennie Thompson
1999 DE Derrick Alexander
2000 LB Jamir Miller
2001 OG Jeremy McKinney
2002 TE Mark Campbell
2003 DL Courtney Brown
2004 RB Lee Suggs
2005 LB Kenard Lang
2006 K Phil Dawson
2007 DB Gary Baxter
2008 WR Joe Jurevicius
2009 WR Mike Furrey
2010 LB Eric Barton
2011 LB D'Qwell Jackson
2012 P Reggie Hodges
2013 DB T.J. Ward
2014 DL Desmond Bryant
2015 OL Alex Mack
About Providence House
Providence House – Ohio's first crisis nursery – provides emergency shelter and care for children in crisis, newborn through age 10, who are at risk of abuse or neglect while offering family support services to strengthen and stabilize families long term. Visit www.provhouse.org for more information.
