Bart Starr Award
{{Use American English|date=September 2023}}
{{Short description|National Football League player award}}
{{Featured list}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox sports award
| name = Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award
| nickname = Bart Starr Award
| image = Bart starr bw.jpg
| league = National Football League
| caption = Bart Starr, former quarterback of the Green Bay Packers and namesake of the award
| alt = Full body photo of Bart Starr in his uniform tossing a football towards the camera
| awardedfor = Outstanding character and leadership
| sponsor = Athletes in Action
| first = Steve Largent, {{Abbrlink|WR|Wide receiver}}, 1989
| mostrecent = Cameron Jordan, {{Abbrlink|DE|Defensive end}}, 2025
| url = {{URL|https://superbowlbreakfast.com/winners/}}
}}
The Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award is given annually to an American football player in the National Football League (NFL) who "best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field, and in the community".{{cite web | title = Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins selected for 2023 Bart Starr Award | url = https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/vikings-quarterback-kirk-cousins-selected-for-2023-bart-starr-award/ | access-date = September 23, 2023 | website = CBS News | date = December 28, 2022 | archive-date = July 18, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230718152513/https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/vikings-quarterback-kirk-cousins-selected-for-2023-bart-starr-award/ | url-status = live }} The award is presented by Athletes in Action (AIA), a sports ministry associated with Cru (formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ). It is awarded to the winner each year at the Super Bowl Breakfast, an NFL-sanctioned event that occurs the day before the Super Bowl. The nominee list is compiled by a group of individuals made-up of the Public Relations Directors of every NFL team, past award winners and AIA staff. The list is trimmed to 10 players, with the award winner chosen by AIA leadership and past award winners.{{Cite web | url = https://superbowlbreakfast.com/winners/ | title = The Bart Starr Award | access-date = September 24, 2023 | website = SuperBowlBreakfast.com | date = August 9, 2021 | archive-date = August 9, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230809231808/https://superbowlbreakfast.com/winners/ | url-status = live }} However, some past awardees have been chosen by fellow NFL players after the initial list is trimmed down to 10.{{Cite web | url = https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28476853/eli-manning-wins-2020-athletes-action-bart-starr-award | title = Eli Manning wins 2020 Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award | agency = Associated Press | website = ESPN | access-date = September 23, 2023 | date = January 13, 2020 | archive-date = April 19, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210419054342/https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28476853/eli-manning-wins-2020-athletes-action-bart-starr-award | url-status = live }}{{Cite web | url = https://sports.yahoo.com/orleans-saints-demario-davis-named-015717376.html?src=rss | title = New Orleans Saints' Demario Davis named Bart Starr Award winner | access-date = September 23, 2023 | website = Yahoo! Sports | date = January 4, 2021 | archive-date = September 26, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230926161121/https://sports.yahoo.com/orleans-saints-demario-davis-named-015717376.html?src=rss | url-status = live }} The award was first given at the second Super Bowl Breakfast in 1989. Bart Starr, the Hall of Fame former quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, partnered with AIA to present the award that bears his name. Starr was selected by AIA because he was an "individual of impeccable character who has served his family and community faithfully through the years and is a role model for athletes and business people alike". Starr presented every award until 2015, when a stroke prevented him from attending the Super Bowl Breakfast anymore. Since 2015, former NFL coach Tony Dungy and Starr's son have presented the award in his honor.
Steve Largent, the Hall of Fame former wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks, was the winner of the inaugural award in 1989.{{Cite news | url = https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-largent-to-receive-bart/132476398/ | title = Largent to receive Bart Starr Trophy | date = January 19, 1989 | access-date = September 26, 2023 | newspaper = The Miami Herald | type = clipping | via = Newspapers.com | page = 4D | archive-date = September 26, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230926210650/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-largent-to-receive-bart/132476398/ | url-status = live }} Since then, 37 NFL players have received the award. This includes Eugene Robinson, a safety for the Atlanta Falcons, who returned the award after being arrested the night he received it for soliciting sex from an undercover police officer.{{Cite news | url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-02-06-9902060277-story.html | newspaper = Chicago Tribune | last = Nidetz | first = Stephen | date = February 6, 1999 | access-date = September 23, 2023 | title = Falcon's Robinson to Return Award for Good Character | archive-date = September 25, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230925134325/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-02-06-9902060277-story.html | url-status = live }} Historically, the award has only been given to one player a year, however in 1998, Irving Fryar and Brent Jones shared the award.{{Cite news | url = https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-ex-packers-stars/132315047/ | title = Ex-Packers stars reaping benefits | last = Murphy | first = Tom | date = January 25, 1998 | access-date = September 23, 2023 | newspaper = Green Bay Press-Gazette | type = clipping | via = Newspapers.com | page = C-3 | archive-date = September 26, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230926161112/https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-ex-packers-stars/132315047/ | url-status = live }} The award has been given to one set of brothers (Peyton and Eli Manning in 2015 and 2019 respectively) and one father and son (Jackie and Matthew Slater in 1996 and 2017 respectively).{{Cite web | url = https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18405704/matthew-slater-new-england-patriots-wins-bart-starr-award-just-dad-jackie-slater | title = Matthew Slater, Jackie Slater first father-son combo to win Bart Starr Award | access-date = September 23, 2023 | website = ESPN | last = Reiss | first = Mike | date = January 4, 2017 | archive-date = October 19, 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171019004140/http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18405704/matthew-slater-new-england-patriots-wins-bart-starr-award-just-dad-jackie-slater | url-status = live }} The most recent awardee was Cameron Jordan, defensive end for the New Orleans Saints, in 2025.
Award winners
Notes
- {{note label|Note1|a|a}} Winners are listed by the year the award was given, not by the season the player had just completed.
- {{note label|Note2|b|b}} Atlanta Falcons safety Eugene Robinson won the award for the 1998 NFL season, but was arrested the evening he received the award in Miami, Florida, for soliciting a female undercover police officer who was posing as a prostitute. This occurred on the eve of the Falcons' game against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII. Robinson later agreed to return the award. He is no longer listed on the AIA's list of award winners.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Bart Starr Award}}
{{NFL awards}}
{{Green Bay Packers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Athletes in Action Bart Starr Award}}
Category:NFL trophies and awards
Category:American humanitarian and service awards