LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. -- The Washington Football Team announced Wednesday that they have named guard Brandon Scherff the winner of the team's 2020 Ed Block Courage Award. The honor is given annually to a player from each National Football League team who displays extraordinary courage in the face of adversity. Quarterback Alex Smith was the 2019 Ed Block Courage Award winner.
Scherff missed the final five games of the 2019 season after suffering elbow and shoulder injuries.
Scherff has appeared in 77 career regular season games and has started in all of them. This season he was named to his fourth Pro Bowl. Scherff joined Trent Williams, Chris Samuels, Len Hauss, Joe Jacoby and Russ Grimm as the only Washington offensive linemen to be selected to the Pro Bowl four-plus times. In 2020, Scherff has been part of an offensive unit that ranks No. 8 in the NFL in rushing touchdowns.
The Courage Award is named after Ed Block, the longtime head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts who was a pioneer in his profession and a respected humanitarian. The inaugural 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.
Washington Ed Block Courage Award Winners
- 2020 Brandon Scherff
- 2019 Alex Smith
- 2018 Chris Thompson
- 2017 DeAngelo Hall
- 2016 Niles Paul
- 2015 Morgan Moses
- 2014 Keenan Robinson
- 2013 Robert Griffin III
- 2012 Kory Lichtensteiger
- 2011 Stephen Bowen
- 2010 Ma'ake Kemoeatu
- 2009 Phillip Daniels
- 2008 Reed Doughty
- 2007 Marcus Washington
- 2006 Randy Thomas
- 2005 Khary Campbell
- 2004 Brandon Noble
- 2003 Fred Smoot
- 2002 Chris Samuels
- 2001 Cory Raymer
- 2000 James Thrash
- 1999 Tre' Johnson
- 1998 Darrell Green
- 1997 James Jenkins
- 1996 Ed Simmons
- 1995 Keith Taylor
- 1994 Mark Schlereth
- 1993 Art Monk
- 1992 Anthony Johnson
- 1991 Donnie Warren
- 1990 Joe Jacoby
- 1989 Neil Olkewicz
- 1988 Doug Williams
- 1987 Mel Kaufman
- 1986 Darryl Grant
- 1985 Ken Huff
- 1984 Mark May
