Eagles linebacker Joe Walker, who missed all of last year with a serious knee injury, has been voted by his teammates this year's Eagles recipient of the prestigious 2017 Ed Block Courage Award.
Walker joins such hallowed names in Eagles history as Andre Waters, Kevin Turner, Correll Buckhalter, Chad Lewis and Jason Avant in receiving the award, given annually to a player on each team who shows a commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage on and off the field.
Walker, a seventh-round pick out of Oregon in 2016, suffered a knee injury the second week of training camp last summer but bounced back to make the 53-man roster this year and has played in all six games for the 5-1 Eagles.
With Jordan Hicks hurt in the second half Thursday night in Charlotte, Walker played a career-high 13 snaps on defense against the Panthers. He's played 53 special teams snaps this year.
Ed Block was the Colts’ trainer from 1954 through 1977 after earning a Purple Heart in the Army under General Patton in the tank corps in World War II.
The 32 Ed Block Courage Award winners will be honored at the annual Ed Block Courage banquet in Baltimore this spring.
For more information on the program, go to www.EdBlock.org.
NFL
Here is a list of all the Eagles’ Ed Block Courage Award winners since the inception of the program in 1984:
2017 Joe Walker
2016 Nolan Carroll
2015 Fletcher Cox
2014 Jeremy Maclin
2013 Jason Kelce
2012 Colt Anderson
2011 Mike Patterson
2010 Jason Avant
2009 Michael Vick
2008 Jon Dorenbos
2007 Montae Reagor
2006 Jerome McDougle
2005 Chad Lewis
2004 Derrick Burgess
2003 Correll Buckhalter
2002 Shawn Barber
2001 Duce Staley & Tommy Brasher
2000 Cecil Martin
1999 Mike Mamula
1998 Bobby Taylor
1997 Rhett Hall
1996 Kevin Turner
1995 Charlie Garner
1994 Fred Barnett
1993 Andre Waters
1992 Jerome Brown
1991 David Alexander
1990 Ron Solt
1989 Mike Quick
1988 Wes Hopkins
1987 Gerry Feehery
1986 Jody Schultz
1985 Ron Jaworski
1984 John Spagnola