George Halas Award

{{Short description|American football award for overcoming adversity}}

{{for|the defensive award which presented the George Halas Trophy|Newspaper Enterprise Association NFL defensive player of the year}}

{{Infobox sports award

| name = George Halas Award

| image =

| caption =

| sport = American football

| league = National Football League

| givenfor = An NFL player, coach or staff member overcoming adversity

| presenter = Pro Football Writers of America

| first = Joe Namath, 1969

| mostrecent = John Metchie III, 2024

| url = {{URL|https://www.profootballwriters.org/off-field-awards/pfwa-george-halas-award/}}

}}

The George Halas Award is given by the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) to a National Football League (NFL) player, coach or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed.

The award is named for George Halas, a charter member (1963) of the Pro Football Hall of Fame who was associated with the Chicago Bears and NFL from their inception in 1920 until his death in 1983 as an owner, manager, player and promoter.

Halas represented the Bears, then known as the Decatur Staleys, at the Sept. 17, 1920 organizational meeting of the American Football Association in Canton, Ohio. One year later, the AFA became known as the National Football League.

Halas’ teams won six NFL titles in his 40 seasons as the Bears’ coach. His 318 regular-season wins and 324 total victories were long-standing NFL records until broken by Don Shula in 1993.{{Cite news|url=http://www.profootballwriters.org/off-field-awards/pfwa-george-halas-award/|title=George Halas Award {{!}} PFWA|access-date=2017-12-24|language=en-US}}

In 1970, the George Halas Award went to Gale Sayers for his comeback from knee surgery to lead the NFL in rushing in 1969.{{cite news |last1=Vecsey |first1=George |title=Gale Sayers Dies; Elusive Hall of Fame Running Back Was 77 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/23/sports/football/gale-sayers-dead.html |access-date=6 June 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=23 September 2020}} Sayers gave an emotional speech that was memorialized in the film Brian's Song. Said Sayers, "You flatter me by giving me this award, but I’ll tell you here and now that I accept it for Brian Piccolo. Brian Piccolo is the man of courage who should receive the George S. Halas Award. I accept it tonight, but I’ll present it to Brian tomorrow. I love Brian Piccolo. And I’d like all of you to love him, too. And tonight, when you hit your knees, ask God to love him, too."{{cite web|url=http://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechbrianssong2.html|title=Movie Speech from Brian's Song - Gale Sayers Accepts George Halas Trophy for Courage|author=Michael E. Eidenmuller|date=|publisher=American Rhetoric|accessdate=2015-10-16}}{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/classic/s/2001/1031/1271453.html|title=ESPN Classic - Courageous Piccolo never lost hope|date=2003-11-19|publisher=Espn.go.com|access-date=2015-10-16}}

Other notable winners of the George Halas Award include Joe Namath,{{cite web|url=http://www.newyorkjets.com/team/history?year=1969|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061114025444/http://www.newyorkjets.com/team/history?year=1969|archive-date=November 14, 2006|url-status=dead|access-date=April 22, 2007| title=History }} Steeler running back Rocky Bleier, Hall of Fame cornerback Jimmy Johnson,{{cite web|url=http://www.footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=john-jim|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061024153719/http://www.footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=john-jim|archive-date=October 24, 2006|url-status=dead|access-date=April 22, 2007| title=Professional Football Researchers Association- Pro Football History }} New York Giant cancer survivor Karl Nelson,{{cite web|url=http://www.nysportsday.com/news/nyg/1146690038.php|title=The Bookends Interview: Karl Nelson :: NY Sports Day - Independent New York Giants Coverage|author=Joseph McDonald|date=2006-05-03|publisher=NY Sports Day|accessdate=2015-10-16}} Hall of Famers Dan Hampton and Joe Montana,{{cite web|url=http://www.livingprimetime.com/AllCovers/July1997/workjul1997/vic_carucci_and_football.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040709212701/http://www.livingprimetime.com/AllCovers/July1997/workjul1997/vic_carucci_and_football.htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 9, 2004|title=Vic Carucci and Football|date=|publisher=Livingprimetime.com|accessdate=2015-10-16}} Denver Broncos guard Mark Schlereth,[http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-16921494.html{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} [1]]{{dead link|date=October 2015}} former N.Y. Giant Kerry Collins,{{cite web|url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70D16FC3A550C7A8DDDAF0894D9404482&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fC%2fCollins%2c%20Kerry|title=PLUS - PRO FOOTBALL - Halas Award Goes To Giants' Collins - NYTimes.com|date=2001-06-19|publisher=Select.nytimes.com|accessdate=2015-10-16}} San Francisco 49ers Garrison Hearst{{cite web|url=http://www.49ersparadise.com/bryansarchive/hearstwins.html|title=49ers Champ's Incredible Fan Paradise Paradise Press|date=2002-06-20|publisher=49ersparadise.com|accessdate=2015-10-16}} and Bryant Young,{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-29830238.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071004201155/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-29830238.html|archive-date=October 4, 2007|url-status=dead|access-date=April 22, 2007|title=49ers' Bryant Young Honored by PFWA - AP Online - HighBeam Research}} coach and former linebacker Sam Mills,{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap?gid=20041212029|title=Panthers 20, Rams 7 - NFL - Yahoo Sports|author=|date=2004-12-12|publisher=Sports.yahoo.com|accessdate=2015-10-16}} Dolphins running back Robert Edwards,{{cite web|url=http://www.finheaven.com/boardvb2/showthread.php?t=14918|title=Dolphins' Robert Edwards Named Halas Award Winner - FinHeaven Forums|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929102622/http://www.finheaven.com/boardvb2/showthread.php?t=14918|archive-date=2007-09-29|url-status=dead|access-date=2007-04-22}} linebacker Mark Fields,{{cite news|url=https://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2005/07/24/mcginest_tackles_some_topics/?page=4|title=McGinest tackles some topics - The Boston Globe|date=2005-07-24|newspaper=Boston.com|accessdate=2015-10-16|last1=Cafardo|first1=Nick}} former head coach Tony Dungy,[http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=3805 [2]] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061022115913/http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=3805|date=October 22, 2006}} former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees,[http://www.emqb.com/pfwa-award-winners-announced/ [3]] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070509044919/http://www.emqb.com/pfwa-award-winners-announced/|date=May 9, 2007}} New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft,{{cite web|url=http://www.patriots.com/news/article-1/Robert-Kraft-selected-as-PFWAs-2012-George-Halas-Award-winner/fc3448e4-1351-4196-9749-f6faeec194c8|title=Robert Kraft selected as PFWA's 2012 George Halas Award winner | New England Patriots|date=|publisher=Patriots.com|accessdate=2015-10-16}} and former Saints safety and ALS advocate Steve Gleason.[http://www.neworleanssaints.com/news-and-events/article-1/Steve-Gleason-selected-as-PFWA%E2%80%99s-2015-George-Halas-award-winner/a83c04db-4131-4981-b9de-45b9a7411638 "Steve Gleason selected as PFWA’s 2015 George Halas award winner"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806221835/http://www.neworleanssaints.com/news-and-events/article-1/Steve-Gleason-selected-as-PFWA%E2%80%99s-2015-George-Halas-award-winner/a83c04db-4131-4981-b9de-45b9a7411638 |date=2017-08-06 }}, New Orleans Saints, June 15, 2015.