Linebacker Named Bears Block Award Winner

The Bears have voted second-year linebacker Jack Sanborn the winner of the Ed Block Courage Award for the 2023 season.

The award is given by each NFL team to one player who best exemplifies the qualities of courage, compassion, commitment and community displayed by Ed Block, a former Baltimore Colts trainer.

In announcing the award, the Bears gave Sanborn's leadership in the locker room and the praise he gets from coaches and younger players as the main reason.

Sanborn is the strongside linebacker in the base Bears 4-3 defense and backs up both Tremaine Edmunds at middle linebacker and T.J. Edwards at weakside linebacker.

The Lake Zurich, IL native first made an impression as an undrafted rookie when he had to step in and start in the seccond half of the season at middle linebacker after the trade of Roquan Smith.

He hasd 65 tackles, including seven for loss, and an interception last season, and has 129 total with three sacks for his career.

Off the field, Sanborn served the community by presenting a $104,000 grant check from the Chicago Bears for at-risk youth in the Englewood neighborhood to combat gun violance and crime. He partnered with Roschon Johnson to fill the Christmas wish lists of 10 children from Big Brother Big Siser of Metropolitan Chicago and made occasional visits to children's hostpitals in Chicagoland.

He'll be presented with the award on Tuesday in a luncheon ceremony at Manzo's Banquets, with proceeds from the day benefiting the Maryville Academy with high school, college and vocational scholarships.

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