IRVING, Texas – Tyrone Crawford will be honored as the Cowboys' recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award on Monday night at the 37th annual Ed Block Courage Awards in Baltimore, Md.
All 32 NFL franchises designate an honoree for the yearly award, which is given to league players who best exemplify "commitments to the principles of sportsmanship and courage." Crawford's Cowboys teammates voted him as this year's winner, after he rebounded from a season-ending injury to have the best year of his career in 2014.
Crawford ruptured his Achilles tendon on the first day of training camp, ending his 2013 season before it could even begin. It was a harsh setback for the defensive tackle, who the Cowboys drafted No. 81 overall in 2012.
After spending the season on injured reserve, Crawford rebounded in a big way in his third NFL season. After making the move from defensive end to defensive tackle, Crawford turned into one of the Cowboys' most effective pass rushers. He tallied 37 tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks while generating 29 quarterback pressures from the three-technique position.
Crawford trailed Jeremy Mincey and Henry Melton in sacks, while he trailed only Mincey in quarterback pressures for the Dallas defense.
It's a similar storyline to the Cowboys' previous Ed Block Courage Award recipient. Barry Church won the award for 2013, after he returned from a 2012 Achilles injury to tally 135 tackles for the Cowboys in 2013. All-Pro tight end Jason Witten won the team's 2012 Ed Block Award, as he overcame a lacerated spleen to post an NFL-record 110 receptions for 1,039 yards.
