Entire Redskins team nominated for Halas Award

by Skin Patrol on Apr 7, 2008 2:36 PM EDT in Awards

The Halas Award, given for overcoming adversity, has an entire team nominated: the Washington Redskins. Safety Sean Taylor died late last season after suffering gunshot wounds during a burglary at his house, then the Redskins went on to make the playoffs.

Also in the running for the award are Bills tight end Kevin Everett, who has made a remarkable recovery after briefly becoming paralyzed making a tackle during Buffalo's season opener; Cowboys linebacker Greg Ellis, the AP's Comeback Player of the Year; and two Giants, receiver Plaxico Burress and quarterback Eli Manning.

Per Redskins 360:

In my 15 years in the PFWA, including 12 on the board, six on the executive board and two as President, I can't recall an entire team being nominated before this. I believe the award will go either to the Redskins or to Everett, who's walking again after being paralyzed in last season's opener.

It is an individual award, which makes the nomination of the Redskins even more extraordinary. I'd just as soon have 21 than some award, though.

The run is even more impressive viewed in context. We lost our starting quarterback (Jason Campbell) and faced an impressive run of teams, including: 1) the Vikings, in their hood, and they missed the postseason by one game, 2) the Super Bowl winning Giants, in their hood, when they could have clinched a playoff spot with a win over us, and 3) the Cowboys who were in a position to set a franchise record. Any suggestion that they weren't trying as hard they usually would given that they'd already clinched their playoff berth is responded by: That shit wasn't even close and if the Cowboys can't get up for even an allegedly meaningless game against a hated rival, that reflects something wrong with their team, not ours.

Anyways, congratulations to all the individuals (and team) nominated. It was an emotionally powerful season.

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