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Ballhawk and Ed Block Courage Award Winner

The Bears have named Eddie Jackson their Ed Block Courage Award winner and he also was given the team's first ballhawk award.
Gene Chamberlain|
Ballhawk and Ed Block Courage Award Winner
Ballhawk and Ed Block Courage Award Winner

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Chicago Bears

An injury prevented Eddie Jackson from getting named to the Pro Bowl  but it hasn't prevented him from garnering awards for 2022.

Jackson is the Bears Ed Block Courage Award winner for the 2022 season, one given out annually and voted on by players based on courage displayed and inspiration on and away from the field.

The other award given to Jackson is a new one started by coach Matt Eberflus, the team ballhawk of the year award.

It's not the first time Eberflus has done a ballhawk award. Eberflus had been well known for his ballhawk T-shirts that were featured on HBO'S Hard Knocks In-Season in 2021 when the Colts were the subject for the team. Players got them for interceptions.

Jackson had four interceptions before a foot injury that didn't require surgery ended his season against the Jets with five games remaining. The four interceptions are the most by a Bears player since Kyle Fuller had seven in 2018.

Jackson had been among NFC leaders for interceptions and for the Pro Bowl at safety before his injury.

Jackson seemed a natural for the Ed Block Courage Award and not just because he made four interceptions after going two years without one.

He had gone through personal hardship prior to the 2022 season. Jackson's longtime best friend Romario Olivier had died due to an accidental gunshot wound.

Jackson had been named a team captain during the season after the Bears lost one team captain from defense with the trade of Robert Quinn to the Eagles just before their loss to Dallas.

The Bears hold a luncheon to present the Ed Block Courage Award every spring and had to cancel it for two straight years due to the pandemic, but held one last year. However, winner Tarik Cohen wasn't in attendance as it had been determined he would be a salary cut victim.

Block was a trainer for the Baltimore Colts from 1954-1977 and his foundation reflects his humanitarian efforts by supporting the prevention of child abuse both by raising awareness and by assisting agencies that provide for the care and treatment of abused childre. Teams have a courage house that they support and for the Bears it is the Maryville Crisis Nursery to care for abused, neglected and at-risk children and their families.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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