The PFWA’s George Halas Award is given to a NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed.
The award is named for Halas, a charter member (1963) of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, who was associated with the Chicago Bears and NFL from their inception in 1920 until his death in 1983 as an owner, manager, player and promoter.
Halas represented the Bears, then known as the Decatur Staleys, at the Sept. 17, 1920 organizational meeting of the American Football Association in Canton, Ohio. One year later, the AFA became known as the National Football League.
Halas’ teams won six NFL titles in his 40 seasons as the Bears’ coach. His 318 regular-season wins and 324 total victories were long-standing NFL records until broken by Don Shula in 1993.
GEORGE HALAS AWARD WINNERS (To the NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed):
NOTE: Year indicates when award was presented for the previous season
1969 — Joe Namath (New York Jets)
1970 — Gale Sayers (Chicago Bears)
1971 — Tom Dempsey (New Orleans Saints)
1972 — Jimmy Johnson (San Francisco 49ers)
1973 — Mike Tilleman (Atlanta Falcons)
1974 — Dick Butkus (Chicago Bears)
1975 — Rocky Bleier (Pittsburgh Steelers)
1976 — Billy Kilmer (Washington Redskins)
1977 — Tom DeLeone (Cleveland Browns)
1978 — Pat Fischer (Washington Redskins)
1979 — Bert Jones (Baltimore Colts)
1980 — Roger Staubach (Dallas Cowboys)
1981 — Rolf Benirschke (San Diego Chargers)
1982 — Joe Klecko (New York Jets)
1983 — Eddie Lee Ivery (Green Bay Packers)
1984 — Ted Hendricks (Los Angeles Raiders)
1985 — John Stallworth (Pittsburgh Steelers)
1986 — Gary Jeter (Los Angeles Rams)
1987 — William Andrews (Atlanta Falcons)
1988 — Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers)
1989 — Karl Nelson (New York Giants)
1990 — Tim Krumrie (Cincinnati Bengals)
1991 — Dan Hampton (Chicago Bears)
1992 — Mike Utley (Detroit Lions)
1993 — Mark Bavaro (Cleveland Browns)
1994 — Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers)
1995 — Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins)
1996 — Larry Brown (Dallas Cowboys)
1997 — Jim Harbaugh (Indianapolis Colts)
1998 — Mark Schlereth (Denver Broncos)
1999 — Dan Reeves (Atlanta Falcons)
2000 — Bryant Young (San Francisco 49ers)
2001 — Kerry Collins (New York Giants)
2002 — Garrison Hearst (San Francisco 49ers)
2003 — Robert Edwards (Miami Dolphins)
2004 — Sam Mills (Carolina Panthers)
2005 — Mark Fields (Carolina Panthers)
2006 — Tony Dungy (Indianapolis Colts)
2007 — Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)
2008 — Kevin Everett (Buffalo Bills)
2009 — Matt Bryant (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
2010 — Mike Zimmer (Cincinnati Bengals)
2011 — Mike Heimerdinger (Tennessee Titans)
2012 — Robert Kraft (New England Patriots)
2013 — Chuck Pagano (Indianapolis Colts)
2014 — O.J. Brigance (Baltimore Ravens)
2015 — Steve Gleason (New Orleans Saints)
2016 — Eric Berry (Kansas City Chiefs)
2017 — David Quessenberry (Houston Texans)
2018 — Marquise Goodwin (San Francisco 49ers)
2019 — Ryan Shazier (Pittsburgh Steelers)
2020 — Travis Frederick (Dallas Cowboys)
2021 — Alex Smith (Washington Football Team)
2022 — Ron Rivera (Washington Football Team)
2023 — Damar Hamlin (Buffalo Bills)
2024 — John Metchie III (Houston Texans)
YEARLY FINALISTS (winners in bold)
1969 — Sonny Jurgensen (Washington Redskins QB), Joe Namath (New York Jets QB)
1970
1971
1972
1973 — Floyd Little (Denver Broncos HB), Jim Otto (Oakland Raiders C), Mike Tilleman (Atlanta Falcons DT)
1974 — Dick Butkus (Chicago Bears LB), Lynn Dickey (Houston Oilers QB), Bonnie Sloan (St. Louis Cardinals DT)
1975 — Rocky Bleier (Pittsburgh Steelers RB), Grady Alderman (Minnesota Vikings OL), Bob Hoskins (San Francisco DT), Bob Windsor (New England Patriots TE), Tom Myers (New Orleans Saints S)
1976
1977 — Tom DeLeone (Cleveland Browns C), Billy Kilmer (Washington Redskins QB), Charlie West (Detroit Lions S)
1978
1979
1980 — Roger Staubach (Dallas Cowboys QB), J.T. Thomas (Pittsburgh Steelers CB), Jack Youngblood (Los Angeles Rams DE)
1981 — Rolf Benirschke (San Diego Chargers PK), Bill Bergey (Philadelphia Eagles LB), Jim Plunkett (Oakland Raiders QB)
1982 — Brian Baschnagel (Chicago Bears WR), Joe Klecko (New York Jets DL), Kellen Winslow (San Diego Chargers TE)
1983 — Wes Chandler (San Diego Chargers WR), Eddie Lee Ivery (Green Bay Packers RB), Ray Guy (Oakland Raiders P)
1984 — Dwaine Board (San Francisco 49ers DE), Ted Hendricks (Los Angeles Raiders LB), Walter Payton (Chicago Bears RB)
1985 — Joe Spagnola (Philadelphia Eagles TE), John Stallworth (Pittsburgh Steelers WR), Phil Simms (New York Giants QB)
1986 — Karl Baldischwiler (Indianapolis Colts OL), Jerry Butler (Buffalo Bills WR), Gary Jeter (Los Angeles Rams DL), Keith Nord (Minnesota Vikings DB/ST)
1987 — William Andrews (Atlanta Falcons RB), Keith Dorsey (Detroit Lions OL), Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers QB)
1988 — Jim Covert (Chicago Bears T), Barry Krauss (Indianapolis Colts LB), Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers QB), Charles White (Los Angeles Rams RB)
1989 — Wes Hopkins (Philadelphia Eagles S), Devon Mitchell (Detroit Lions S), Karl Nelson (New York Giants T), Leslie O’Neal (San Diego Chargers DE), Dwight Stephenson (Miami Dolphins C)
1990 — Tim Krumrie (Cincinnati Bengals DT), Rickey Jackson (New Orleans Saints LB), Steve Grogan (New England Patriots QB)
1991 — Mark Bavaro (New York Giants TE), Dan Hampton (Chicago Bears DT), Mike Sherrard (San Francisco 49ers WR), Barry Word (Kansas City Chiefs RB)
1992 — Ray Childress (Houston Oilers DT), Jim McMahon (Phiadelphia Eagles QB), Mike Utley (Detroit Lions G), Frank Warren (New Orleans Saints DE)
1993 — Mark Bavaro (Philadelphia Eagles TE), Vince Buck (New Orleans Saints CB), Bernie Kosar (Cleveland Browns QB)
1994 — Bobby Hebert (Atlanta Falcons QB), Jeff Lageman (New York Jets DE), Joe Montana (Kansas City Chiefs QB)
1995
1996 — Larry Brown (Dallas Cowboys CB), Bobby Joe Edmonds (Tampa Bay Buccaneers RS), Eric Moten (San Diego Chargers G), Rod Woodson (Pittsburgh Steelers CB)
1997 — William Floyd (San Francisco 49ers RB), Jim Harbaugh (Indianapolis Colts QB), Mark Schlereth (Denver Broncos G)
1998 — Scott Brumfield (Cincinnati Bengals G), Erik Kramer (Chicago Bears QB), Mark Rypien (St. Louis Rams QB), Mark Schlereth (Denver Broncos G)
1999 — Charles Dimry (San Diego Chargers CB), Doug Flutie (Buffalo Bills QB), Tony Jones (Denver Broncos T), Dan Reeves (Atlanta Falcons head coach), Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers WR)
2000 — Alonzo Spellman (Dallas Cowboys DT), James Stewart (Jacksonville Jaguars RB), Bryant Young (San Francisco 49ers DT)
2001 — Paul Boudreau (Carolina Panthers OL coach), Kerry Collins (New York Giants QB), Joe Johnson (New Orleans Saints DE)
2002 — Tommy Brasher (Philadelphia Eagles DL coach), Garrison Hearst (San Francisco 49ers RB), Takeo Spikes (Cincinnati Bengals LB)
2003 — Robert Edwards (Miami Dolphins RB), Joe Jurevicius (Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR), Tommy Maddox (Pittsburgh Steelers QB)
2004 — Chad Clifton (Green Bay Packers T), Trent Dilfer (Seattle Seahawks QB), Joe Jurevicius (Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR), Sam Mills (Carolina Panthers LB coach), Ray Sherman (Green Bay Packers WR coach)
2005 — Brett Favre (Green Bay Packers QB), Mark Fields (Carolina Panthers LB), Stan Hixon (Washington Redskins WR coach), Willis McGahee (Buffalo Bills RB), Terrell Owens (Philadelphia Eagles WR)
2006 — Tedy Bruschi (New England Patriots LB), Tony Dungy (Indianapolis Colts head coach), Koren Robinson (Minnesota Vikings WR), New Orleans Saints organization, Steve Smith (Carolina Panthers WR), Kyle Vanden Bosch (Tennessee Titans DE)
2007 — Chad Pennington (New York Jets QB), Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints QB), Carson Palmer (Cincinnati Bengals QB), Ronald Curry (Oakland Raiders WR), Ken Hamlin (Seattle Seahawks S)
2008 — Eli Manning (New York Giants QB), Kevin Everett (Buffalo Bills TE), Washington Redskins organization, Plaxico Burress (New York Giants WR), Greg Ellis (Dallas Cowboys LB)
2009 — Anquan Boldin (Arizona Cardinals WR), Matt Bryant (Tampa Bay Buccaneers PK), Ryan Clark (Pittsburgh Steelers S), Chad Pennington (Miami Dolphins QB), Aaron Smith (Pittsburgh Steelers DE)
2010 — Tom Brady (New England Patriots QB), O.J. Brigance (Baltimore Ravens player development director), Joe DeCamillis (Dallas Cowboys special teams coordinator)/Rich Behm (Dallas Cowboys scouting assistant), Cadillac Williams (Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB), Mike Zimmer (Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator)
2011 — Mike Heimerdinger (former Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator), E.J. Henderson (Minnesota Vikings LB), Michael Vick (Philadelphia Eagles QB), Wes Welker (New England Patriots WR), Leon Washington (Seattle Seahawks RB/KR)
2012 — D’Qwell Jackson (Cleveland Browns LB), Robert Kraft (New England Patriots owner), Alex Smith (San Francisco 49ers QB), Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions QB)
2013 — Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos QB), Chuck Pagano (Indianapolis Colts head coach), Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings
2014 — O.J. Brigance (Baltimore Ravens player development director), Thomas Davis (Carolina Panthers LB), John Fox (Denver Broncos head coach), Tyrann Mathieu (Arizona Cardinals S), Terrell Thomas (New York Giants CB)
2015 — Steve Gleason (former New Orleans Saints S), Rob Gronkowski (New England Patriots TE), Chris Harris Jr. (Denver Broncos CB), Rolando McClain (Dallas Cowboys LB), Devon Still (Cincinnati Bengals DT)
2016 — Eric Berry (Kansas City Chiefs S), Delvin Breaux (New Orleans Saints CB), Bruce DeHaven (Carolina Panthers ST coach), Richie Incognito (Buffalo Bills G), Carson Palmer (Cincinnati Bengals QB), Nate Solder (New England Patriots OL)
2017 — Tom Brady (New England Patriots QB), Jason Pierre-Paul (New York Giants DE), Dennis Pitta (Baltimore Ravens TE), David Quessenberry (Houston Texans OL), Cameron Wade (Miami Dolphins DE)
2018 — Keenan Allen (Los Angeles Chargers WR), Nick Foles (Philadelphia Eagles QB), Marquise Goodwin (San Francisco 49ers WR), Nate Solder (New York Giants T), Mike Zimmer (Minnesota Vikings head coach)
2019 — James Conner (Pittsburgh Steelers RB), Dave Gettleman (New York Giants GM), Andre Hal (Houston Texans S), Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts QB), Ryan Shazier (Pittsburgh Steelers LB)
2020 — Bobby Engram (Baltimore Ravens TE coach), Travis Frederick (Dallas Cowboys C), Everson Griffen (Minnesota Vikings DL), Russell Okung (Los Angeles Chargers T), Darren Waller (Oakland Raiders TE)
2021 — Darius Leonard (Indianapolis Colts LB), Ron Rivera (Washington Football Team head coach), Alex Smith (Washington Football Team QB), James White (New England Patriots RB)
2022 — Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals QB), Maxx Crosby (Las Vegas Raiders DE), Lane Johnson (Philadelphia Eagles T), Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys QB), Ron Rivera (Washington Football Team head coach)
2023 — Saquon Barkley (New York Giants RB), Damar Hamlin (Buffalo Bills S), Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco 49ers/Carolina Panthers RB), Brian Robinson Jr. (Washington Commanders RB), Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks QB)
2024 — Joe Flacco (Cleveland Browns QB), John Metchie III (Houston Texans WR), Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins QB)
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