Pro Football Writers Association

Technically known as the Pro Football Writers of America, this organization purports to be "The official voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve the public." [http://www.pfwa.org/] Goals of the organization include improving access to practices and locker rooms, developing working relationships with all teams and ensuring that football writers are treated in a professional manner. [http://apse.dallasnews.com/dec2004/18-19pfwa.html]

As of 2005 the group consisted of over 300 writers, editors, and columnists who cover pro football. [http://apse.dallasnews.com/dec2004/18-19pfwa.html]

In keeping with the goals of the organization at Super Bowl XLI PFWA president Dave Elfin filed a complaint with the NFL concerning the late arrival of the AFC Champion (eventual Super Bowl champion) Indianapolis Colts. [http://www.superbowl.com/news/story/9954525]

The Pro Football Writers Association has an All-Pro team, a National Football League Most Valuable Player Award, as well as the George S. Halas Courage Award that is given to the player or coach who has performed with abandon despite injury or personal problems, the Rozelle Award awarded to the club public relations department that consistently strives for excellence in its dealings and relationships with the media, the newly added Good Guy award which is given to the player who best helps the media do its job (winners have been Jerome Bettis, 2004, Tiki Barber, 2005 and LaDainian Tomlinson, 2006), the McCann Award which goes to a reporter who has made a long and distinguished contribution to pro football.

George S. Halas Courage Award

In May, 1970, the Halas Award went to Gale Sayers for his comeback from knee surgry to lead the NFL in rushing in 1969. [http://sports.jrank.org/pages/4254/Sayers-Gale-Suffers-Serious-Knee-Injury.html] In New York, at the Pro Football Writers Association banquet, Gale Sayers gave an emotianal speech that was memorialized in the film Brian's Song. Said Sayers, "You flatter me by giving me this award, but I’ll tell you here and now that I accept it for Brian Piccolo. Brian Piccolo is the man of courage who should receive the George S. Halas Award. I accept it tonight, but I’ll present it to Brian tomorrow. I love Brian Piccolo. And I’d like all of you to love him, too. And tonight, when you hit your knees, ask God to love him, too." [http://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechbrianssong2.html] [http://espn.go.com/classic/s/2001/1031/1271453.html]

Other notable winners of the PFWA Halas Award include Joe Namath [http://www.newyorkjets.com/team/history?year=1969] , Steeler running back Rocky Bleier, Hall of Fame cornerback Jimmy Johnson [http://www.footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=john-jim] , New York Giant cancer survivor Karl Nelson [http://www.nysportsday.com/news/nyg/1146690038.php] , Hall of Famers Dan Hampton and Joe Montana [http://www.livingprimetime.com/AllCovers/July1997/workjul1997/vic_carucci_and_football.htm] , Denver Broncos guard Mark Schlereth [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-16921494.html] , former N.Y. Giant Kerry Collins [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70D16FC3A550C7A8DDDAF0894D9404482&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fC%2fCollins%2c%20Kerry] , San Francisco 49ers Garrison Hearst [http://www.49ersparadise.com/bryansarchive/hearstwins.html] and Bryant Young [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-29830238.html] , Carolina coach and former linebacker Sam Mills [http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap?gid=20041212029] , Dolphins running back Robert Edwards [http://www.finheaven.com/boardvb2/showthread.php?t=14918] , Carolina linebacker Mark Fields [http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2005/07/24/mcginest_tackles_some_topics/?page=4] , Indianapolis Colt Head Coach Tony Dungy, [http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=3805] New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees [http://www.emqb.com/pfwa-award-winners-announced/] .

Dick McCann Memorial Award Winners

The McCann award is presented annually at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. [http://www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement/release.jsp?release_id=2126] It is sometimes referred to as the "writer's wing" of the Hall of Fame. [http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/nwsltr/sports/fromthe50/stories/020707dnspogosselin.544ff2fc.html]
1969 George Strickler, Chicago Tribune
1970 Arthur Daley, New York Times
1971 Joe King, New York World-Telegram and Sun
1972 Lewis Atchison, Washington Star
1973 Dave Brady, Washington Post
1974 Bob Oates, Los Angeles Times
1975 John Steadman, Baltimore News-American
1976 Jack Hand, Associated Press
1977 Art Daley, Green Bay Press-Gazette
1978 Murray Olderman, Newspaper Enterprise Assoc.
1979 Pat Livingson, Pittsburgh Press
1980 Chuck Heaton, Cleveland Plain Dealer
1981 Norm Miller, New York Daily News
1982 Cameron Snyder, Baltimore Morning Sun
1983 Hugh Brown, Philadelphia Bulletin
1984 Larry Felser, Buffalo News
1985 Cooper Rollow - Chicago Tribune
1986 Bill Wallace, New York Times
1987 Jerry Magee, San Diego Union
1988 Gordon Forbes, USA Today
1989 Vito Stellino, Baltimore Sun
1990 Will McDonough, Boston Globe
1991 Dick Connor, Denver Post
1992 Frank Luksa, Dallas Morning News
1993 Ira Miller, San Francisco Chronicle
1994 Don Pierson, Chicago Tribune
1995 Ray Didinger, Philadelphia Daily News
1996 Paul Zimmerman, Sports Illustrated
1997 Bob Roesler, New Orleans Times-Picayune
1998 Dave Anderson, New York Times
1999 Art Spander, Oakland Tribune
2000 Tom McEwen, Tampa Tribune
2001 Len Shapiro, Washington Post
2002 Edwin Pope, Miami Herald
2003 Joel Buchsbaum, Pro Football Weekly
2004 Rick Gosselin, Dallas Morning News
2005 Jerry Green, Detroit News
2006 John McClain, Houston Chronicle
2007 John Clayton, ESPN.com
[http://www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement/release.jsp?release_id=2126]

Past PFWA Presidents

George Strickler, Chicago Tribune
Tony Atchison, Washington Star
John Steadman, Baltimore News-American
William Guthrie, New Haven Journal
Joe King, New York World-Telegram
Dick Connor, Denver Post
Edwin Pope, Miami Herald
Larry Felser, Buffalo News
Paul Zimmerman, Sports Illustrated
Larry Fox, New York Daily News
Bob Roesler, New Orleans Times Picayune
Cooper Rollow, Chicago Tribune
Vito Stellino, Baltimore Morning Sun
Glenn Sheeley, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Don Pierson, Chicago Tribune
Ira Miller, San Francisco Chronicle
Vic Carucci, Buffalo News
Len Pasquarelli, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Steve Schoenfeld, Arizona Republic
John Clayton, Tacoma News-Tribune
Adam Schefter, Denver Post
John McClain, Houston Chronicle
David Elfin, Washington Times
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