Every year, the NFL and its players gather at the end of the regular season to give out awards for the leagues Most Valuable Player, Rookies of the Year, Coach of the Year, and even now, the Celebration of the Year.
But one award was always missing, and finally one player in the NFL spoke out, and now a new award will be added to the list when the NFL celebrates at the end of the year.
The League announced thanks to the voice of Bills Offensive Lineman Dion Dawkins, and the backed assurance of retired all pro and Super Bowl Champion Andrew Whitworth, the league will now be handing out the “Protector of the Year” Award. The award will be given to the leagues best offensive lineman each year, and the list for the first awards winner could potentially be VERY Long.
Lets remember. Even though the league is carried by its personalities and outspoken stars like the Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, and Cornerbacks, those same personalities wouldn’t be who they are today without the men in the trenches battling for an edge on the line of scrimmage.
Tom Brady doesn’t have 7 Super Bowl rings without a good and consistent line to protect him on the multiple game winning drives he conducted throughout the years. Emmitt Smith doesn’t still have the NFL All Time Rushing Record without the offensive line in front of him moving defenders out of the way and opening up the holes to his 18,355 yards in his career. Receivers like Jerry Rice couldn’t amass the catches, yards and touchdowns without the offensive line giving their quarterbacks and them enough time for the route to develop, and get the timing to get the ball to the receiver.
The Award is a long time coming to the players who risk their bodies on every play just as the rest of the team does, and will start to feature some of the great offensive lineman in the league today getting the recognition they deserve, some names to pay attention too for the awards first recipient are San Francisco 49ers LT Trent Williams, Philadelphia Eagles RT Lane Johnson, Green Bay Packers C/OG Elgton Jenkins, Detroit Lions RT Peneii Sewell, and many many others.
Photo Credit: The NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, all included sources
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