Lost in the frenzy of the start of free agency last week, the Chicago Bears announced that defensive tackle Andrew Billings was selected as their 2025 Ed Block Courage Award winner.
The award is named after Ed Block, who was the head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts from 1954 to 1977. Block and his wife spent their lives helping children in distress as foster parents and advisers.
Today, the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation works with the National Courage House Network, which supports abused,
neglected, and at-risk youth.
The Ed Block Courage Award honors those National Football League players “who exemplify commitments to the principles of sportsmanship and courage.”
The Courage Award has become one of the most esteemed honors bestowed upon a player in the NFL and each recipient is selected solely by a vote of his peers [teammates]. Every fall all 32 teams conduct a vote which results in each team selecting their Ed Block Courage Award recipient for the year.
The Ed Block Courage Award recipient symbolizes professionalism, great strength and dedication. He is also a community role model. With this honor he enters into an association that contrasts his fierce profession by becoming a major component of the Courage House National Support Network for Kids. He becomes an Ambassador of Courage for victims of abuse, violence and neglect.
The Ed Block Courage Award recipient will be identified as a team player in helping abused children and families in crisis.
Billings, who is currently a free agent, has played in Chicago since 2023, and in 2024, he was their nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
From the Chicago Bears website.
Over the past several years, Billings has led initiatives focused on education, mentorship and youth development. His efforts have included hosting youth football camps, providing classroom mini grants for teachers and supporting mentorship programs designed to help students navigate challenges both in and out of school. He has also championed literacy and school engagement through initiatives such as his Bikes & Books drive, which rewards students with bicycles, books and school supplies while encouraging strong attendance and a love for reading. Through these programs and ongoing outreach, Billings has remained committed to strengthening communities and empowering the next generation.
For information on Billings’ Family Find-A-Way Foundation, you can hit this link, https://abillingsfoundation.org/.
