Saints TE Graham named recipient of Ed Block Courage Award
 

New Orleans Saints, Press Release
The New Orleans Saints announced today that second-year tight end Jimmy Graham has been voted by his teammates as the 2011 recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award.

The Ed Block Courage Award Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of neglected children and ending the cycle of abuse. The purpose is to raise Awareness and Prevention of child abuse. That objective is coupled with the Foundation's commitment to celebrating players of inspiration in the NFL.

Since its inception the Foundation through its charter with the Courage House National Support Network for Kids, and an affiliation with the National Football League and Professional Football Athletics Trainers Society has helped to provide hope to countless children and raised millions of dollars.

Graham, a 6-6, 260 pound native of Goldsboro, N.C., graduated from the University of Miami with degrees in both marketing and management in 2009. He was selected by the Saints in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft after playing just one year of college football. Prior to that, Graham was a four-year letterman for the Hurricanes in basketball. Graham spent portions of his childhood living in a group home before being taken in by a legal guardian, Rebecca Vinson. Despite putting herself through nursing school and overcoming financial struggles of her own, Vinson helped mentor and stress the importance of education to Graham while providing him with a caring home.

“The Ed Block Courage Award is one of the most prestigious awards an NFL player receives because it is voted on by his peers,” said Saints’ Head Athletic Trainer Scottie B. Patton. “The award is a testament to overcoming adversity, whether it is through setbacks on the field or through challenges they have overcome in their lives. Jimmy has touched the lives of so many people he has come into contact with in his short time here and we all recognize and pay tribute to the amazing contributions he has made to our organization.”

Full article.
Saints TE Graham named recipient of Ed Block Courage Award | wwltv.com New Orleans

Man, watching the game against the Giants gave me a feel for what type of guy Jimmy is. You could see the excitement and the appreciation of the opportunity to play on the sideline. He's a regular guy that's taking advantage of his skill set and not letting the hype around him blow his head up. That's awesome.

We are extremely lucky to have him on our team.

Thats a cool award and says alot about Jimmy Grahams.

Makes me proud to be a Saints Fan! Go Jimmy!

Jimmy you are Awesome. Very Cool !

Good for the kid!! He is a good player & has really helped out the team!!