Ed Block

Pro football Carter a winner of Ed Block honor Cornerback Dale Carter was named the Ravens' winner of the Ed Block Courage Award, which goes to a representative from each team who has displayed courage or sportsmanship, often overcoming injuries or tragedies to return to competition. In an unprecedented move, the Saints' honor will go to the team's coaches, players and staff, who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina. This year's banquet will be March 7 at Martin's West. The award is named for Ed Block, the longtime head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts.

Ravens defensive end Marques Douglas is among the recipients of this year's Ed Block Courage Awards who will be honored at the 26th awards ceremony on March 16 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Thirty-two players, one from each NFL team, were selected by their teammates for displaying a commitment to the principles of courage and sportsmanship. The awards are named after Ed Block, a longtime head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts. The foundation is committed to heightening awareness of the plight of abused children in cities throughout the league.

Multiple Sclerosis Society So, what was the first clue that this, "The 2003 Dinner of Champions," was quite the celebration? Perhaps it was the huge crowd, 1,400 more or less, of snappily attired folks who came to the hoopla thrown by the Maryland Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Or maybe it was the fantastical looking Marriott Waterfront Hotel ballroom. Each of the 140 dining tables sported a huge centerpiece, a tree-sized arrangement of tropical flowers sitting above a glass globe with live goldfish swimming around inside.

The Ed Block Courage Award Foundation yesterday announced the names of the 32 NFL recipients who will receive an Ed Block Courage Award on March 25 at the 25th anniversary of the Ed Block Courage Awards. The event will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center. The inaugural Ed Block Courage Award was presented in 1978 to Baltimore Colts defensive end Joe Ehrmann. Since then, the Courage Award has expanded to include every team in the NFL. In addition to honoring the NFL players, the 25th anniversary gala also will feature a tribute to late Hall of Fame quarterback John Unitas and the Baltimore Colts.

It's what every big-and-tall formal-wear retailer dreams of: A reception room chock-full of big-and-tall guys totally decked out in designer tuxes. Since these were all top-notch NFL players from around the country -- recipients of the 2001 Ed Block Courage Awards -- this VIP gathering was also the ultimate fantasy for football fans. In fact, there were some 700 die-hard sports hounds waiting downstairs in the Martin's West ballroom to get a gander at their idols at the 24th annual Ed Block Courage Awards dinner.

One player from each of the NFL's 31 teams was honored Thursday as a 2001 Ed Block Courage Award recipient. Each March for the past 17 years, the Ed Block Courage Awards Foundation has honored NFL players who, in the eyes of teammates, exemplify a commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage. The 31 recipients will be honored on March 5 at Martin's West in Woodlawn. The event also will honor the NFL athletic training staff of the year, as voted by the members of the Pro Football Athletic Trainers Society, from the San Francisco 49ers.

TAMPA, Fla. - While the Ravens have done their share of talking this week, the New York Giants have quietly gone about their business. That's how coach Jim Fassel likes it. "A long time ago, I told the guys what I wanted our team to be. I just said, 'Hey, listen, shut up and play the game,'" he said. "We don't need to get into the evaluation of what we're doing, how they're doing or anything else. We need to just go out and play and prove ourselves on the field. The less said, the more done, the better I like it. And this team has followed that to a T."

The first thing you noticed in the lobby at Martin's West was the long line. The second thing was the sportsmanlike behavior of these fervent football fans. After all, they were about to get autographs from many of the top players in the National Football League -- players voted tops in personal courage by their teammates. Honorees for the 22nd annual Ed Block Courage Awards banquet included: the Ravens' Peter Boulware, the Patriots' Drew Bledsoe, the Steelers' Chad Scott, the Titans' Steve McNair and former Detroit Lion Mike Utley, who received the Alumni Courage Award.

LeShon Johnson is one NFL player who doesn't need an off-season workout program. The New York Giants' running back works every day on his 12-acre ranch outside Tulsa, Okla., that features 10 horse stalls. Johnson bought the place this year near his father's 16-acre spread, and he's a hands-on owner who does everything, including cleaning out the stalls. "My wife gets on me every day that I'm out there doing all the work [even though he hired a ranch hand] instead of sitting back in the house," he said with a smile.