Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas
The Professional Football Writers of America have just announced their annual awards and Tampa Bay kicker Matt Bryant has won the Halas Award.
That honor goes to the player or coach who has "performed with abandon despite injury or personal problems off the field." Bryant certainly fit the profile on that one. His infant son died unexpectedly in the middle of last season, yet Bryant continued to kick well and hit a game-winning field goal just days after his son's funeral.
Bryant joins some excellent company. Here's a look at past winners of the Halas Award:
1970 - Joe Namath, New York Jets
1971 - Gale Sayers, Chicago Bears
1972 - Tom Dempsey, New Orleans Saints
1973 - Jimmy Johnson, San Francisco 49ers
1974 - Mike Tilleman, Atlanta Falcons
1975 - Dick Butkus, Chicago Bears
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, Oakland Raiders
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
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Pat Yasinskas
Yasinskas joined ESPN.com in January 2008 after covering the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer for nine seasons. He began his journalism career with The Tampa Tribune in 1990.