Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award
Full body photo of Bart Starr in his uniform tossing a football towards the camera
Bart Starr, former quarterback of the Green Bay Packers and namesake of the award
LeagueNational Football League
Awarded forOutstanding character and leadership
NicknameBart Starr Award
Sponsored byAthletes in Action
History
First awardSteve Largent WR, 1989
Most recentMinkah Fitzpatrick S, 2024
Websitesuperbowlbreakfast.com/winners/

The Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award is given annually to an American football player in the National Football League (NFL) who "best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field, and in the community".[1] The award is presented by Athletes in Action (AIA), a sports ministry associated with Cru (formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ). It is awarded to the winner each year at the Super Bowl Breakfast, an NFL-sanctioned event that occurs the day before the Super Bowl. The nominee list is compiled by a group of individuals made-up of the Public Relations Directors of every NFL team, past award winners and AIA staff. The list is trimmed to 10 players, with the award winner chosen by AIA leadership and past award winners.[2] However, some past awardees have been chosen by fellow NFL players after the initial list is trimmed down to 10.[3][4] The award was first given at the second Super Bowl Breakfast in 1989. Bart Starr, the Hall of Fame former quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, partnered with AIA to present the award that bears his name. Starr was selected by AIA because he was an "individual of impeccable character who has served his family and community faithfully through the years and is a role model for athletes and business people alike".[2] Starr presented every award until 2015, when a stroke prevented him from attending the Super Bowl Breakfast anymore. Since 2015, former NFL coach Tony Dungy and Starr's son have presented the award in his honor.[2]

Steve Largent, the Hall of Fame former wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks, was the winner of the inaugural award in 1989.[5] Since then, 37 NFL players have received the award. This includes Eugene Robinson, a safety for the Atlanta Falcons, who returned the award after being arrested the night he received it for soliciting sex from an undercover police officer.[6] Historically, the award has only been given to one player a year, however in 1998, Irving Fryar and Brent Jones shared the award.[7] The award has been given to one set of brothers (Peyton and Eli Manning in 2015 and 2019 respectively)[3] and one father and son (Jackie and Matthew Slater in 1996 and 2017 respectively).[8] The most recent awardee was Minkah Fitzpatrick, safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers, in 2024.[9]

Award winners

Bart Starr Award winners
Year[a] Image Player Position Team Refs
1989 Headshot of Steve Largent Steve Largent Wide receiver Seattle Seahawks [5]
1990 Headshot of Anthony Munoz holding a microphone Anthony Muñoz Offensive tackle Cincinnati Bengals [10]
1991 Headshot of Mike Singletary in front of a microphone Mike Singletary Linebacker Chicago Bears [11]
1992 Photo of the back of Reggie White sitting on the sideline in his uniform with no helmet Reggie White Defensive end Philadelphia Eagles [12]
1993 Gill Byrd Cornerback San Diego Chargers [13]
1994 Headshot of Warren Moon smiling Warren Moon Quarterback Houston Oilers [14]
1995 Headshot of Chris Carter Cris Carter Wide receiver Minnesota Vikings [15]
1996 Jackie Slater Offensive tackle St. Louis Rams [16]
1997 Headshot of Darrell Green Darrell Green Cornerback Washington Redskins [17]
1998 Headshot of Irving Fryar holding a microphone Irving Fryar Wide receiver Philadelphia Eagles [7]
Brent Jones Tight end San Francisco 49ers
1999 Eugene Robinson[b] Safety Atlanta Falcons [6]
2000 Headshot of Aeneas Williams on a football field wearing his uniform but no helmet Aeneas Williams Cornerback Arizona Cardinals [18]
2001 Headshot of Bruce Matthews on a football field wearing his uniform but no helmet Bruce Matthews Offensive tackle Tennessee Titans [19]
2002 Headshot of Darren Woodson Darren Woodson Safety Dallas Cowboys [20]
2003 Photo of Trent Dilfer during a game about to hand the football off to a teammate Trent Dilfer Quarterback Seattle Seahawks [21]
2004 Photo of the side of Derrick Brooks in uniform speaking towards a microphone Derrick Brooks Linebacker Tampa Bay Buccaneers [22]
2005 Headshot of Troy Vincent in a suit Troy Vincent Cornerback Buffalo Bills [23]
2006 Headshot of Curtis Martin waving to a crowd Curtis Martin Running back New York Jets [24]
2007 Headshot of John Lynch John Lynch Safety Denver Broncos [25]
2008 Headshot of LaDainian Tomlinson wearing a suit LaDainian Tomlinson Running back San Diego Chargers [26]
2009 Headshot of Warrick Dunn sitting and signing autographs Warrick Dunn Running back Tampa Bay Buccaneers [27]
2010 Headshot of Kurt Warner Kurt Warner Quarterback Arizona Cardinals [28]
2011 Headshot of Drew Brees in full uniform and helmet on a football field Drew Brees Quarterback New Orleans Saints [29]
2012 Headshot of London Fletcher wearing his uniform but no helmet London Fletcher Linebacker Washington Redskins [30]
2013 Headshot of Jason Witten on a football field in uniform with his helmet resting on top of his head Jason Witten Tight end Dallas Cowboys [31]
2014 Headshot of Aaron Rodgers in full uniform and helmet smiling Aaron Rodgers Quarterback Green Bay Packers [32]
2015 Headshot of Peyton Manning wearing a suit Peyton Manning Quarterback Denver Broncos [33]
2016 Headshot of Thomas Davis in uniform but no helmet Thomas Davis Sr. Linebacker Carolina Panthers [34]
2017 Headshot of Matthew Slater in uniform but no helmet Matthew Slater Wide receiver New England Patriots [8]
2018 Headshot of Benjamin Watson in full uniform and helmet Benjamin Watson Tight end Baltimore Ravens [35]
2019 Headshot of Calais Campbell wearing a suit and smiling Calais Campbell Defensive end Jacksonville Jaguars [36]
2020 Headshot of Eli Manning smilining, in uniform and wearing a New York Giants hat Eli Manning Quarterback New York Giants [3]
2021 Headshot of Demario Davis wearing his uniform and helmet Demario Davis Linebacker New Orleans Saints [4]
2022 Headshot of Russell Wilson in uniform and helmet running with the football Russell Wilson Quarterback Seattle Seahawks [37]
2023 Headshot of Kirk Cousins wearing his uniform and a Minnesota Vikings hat Kirk Cousins Quarterback Minnesota Vikings [1]
2024 Headshot of Fitzpatrick in a black sweater smiling at the camera Minkah Fitzpatrick Safety Pittsburgh Steelers [9]

Notes

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins selected for 2023 Bart Starr Award". CBS News. December 28, 2022. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "The Bart Starr Award". SuperBowlBreakfast.com. August 9, 2021. Archived from the original on August 9, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Eli Manning wins 2020 Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award". ESPN. Associated Press. January 13, 2020. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "New Orleans Saints' Demario Davis named Bart Starr Award winner". Yahoo! Sports. January 4, 2021. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Largent to receive Bart Starr Trophy". The Miami Herald (clipping). January 19, 1989. p. 4D. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b c Nidetz, Stephen (February 6, 1999). "Falcon's Robinson to Return Award for Good Character". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Murphy, Tom (January 25, 1998). "Ex-Packers stars reaping benefits". Green Bay Press-Gazette (clipping). p. C-3. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b Reiss, Mike (January 4, 2017). "Matthew Slater, Jackie Slater first father-son combo to win Bart Starr Award". ESPN. Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Fittipaldo, Ray (January 5, 2024). "Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick honored with 2024 Bart Starr Award". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on January 13, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  10. ^ "Munoz wins Starr Award". The Californian (clipping). Associated Press. January 24, 1990. p. B-3. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Singletary wins Bart Starr Award". The Palm Beach Post (clipping). January 22, 1991. p. 7C. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Brennan, John (January 25, 1992). "A feast of pregame programming". The Record (clipping). p. B-2. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Gill Byrd - 1993". SuperBowlBreakfast.com. August 31, 2021. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  14. ^ "Warren Moon - 1994". SuperBowlBreakfast.com. August 31, 2021. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  15. ^ Phillips, Mike (January 27, 1995). "C. Carter gets gift for giving". The Miami Herald (clipping). p. 2SB. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Maybe they should call it the MFL". The Naples Daily News (clipping). Associated Press. January 23, 1996. p. 2C. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ George, Thomas (May 18, 1997). "Man of the year: Green has earned it with Skins". News & Record (clipping). N.Y. Times News Service. p. C10. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Williams helps Hall of Fame cover history". Pro Football Hall of Fame. July 2014. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  19. ^ Thomas, Jim (January 28, 2001). "Matthews is honored". St. Louis Post-Dispatch (clipping). p. D11. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Whitt, Richie (August 4, 2002). "Woodson chases a record of his own". Austin American-Statesman (clipping). p. C11. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Trent Dilfer - 2003". SuperBowlBreakfast.com. August 31, 2021. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  22. ^ Cobb, Mike (January 31, 2004). "Brooks Wins Starr Award For Leadership Abilities". The Ledger. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  23. ^ Gaughan, Mark (February 6, 2005). "Mark". The Buffalo News (clipping). p. D6. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Fennelly, Martin (February 5, 2006). "Dungy Still Can Count His Blessings". The Tampa Tribune (clipping). p. 14. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ Williamson, Bill (February 3, 2007). "Lynch receives Starr-ing role with top honor". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  26. ^ "'Spygate' takes Super twist for New England". The News Tribune (clipping). News Tribune news service. February 3, 2008. p. C5. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ Velde, Jessica Vander (February 1, 2009). "Dunn Awarded for His Work Within Community". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  28. ^ Reynolds, Tim (February 8, 2010). "Auction aids relief efforts". The Times-Tribune (clipping). Associated Press. p. B7. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "Drew Brees wins Starr Award". ESPN. Associated Press. January 20, 2011. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  30. ^ "Redskins linebacker Fletcher wins Bart Starr Award". National Football League. January 11, 2012. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  31. ^ "Cowboys TE Witten wins Bart Starr Award". Chicago Tribune. January 25, 2013. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  32. ^ "Aaron Rodgers to be honored with 2014 Bart Starr Award". Fox6Now.com. January 15, 2014. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  33. ^ "Peyton Manning is 2015 Bart Starr Award winner". Sports Illustrated. January 14, 2015. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  34. ^ "Thomas Davis named Bart Starr Award winner". WCNC. January 6, 2016. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  35. ^ Moini, Nina (February 3, 2018). "Super Bowl breakfast ceremony highlights more than football". MPR News. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  36. ^ DiRocco, Michael (January 8, 2019). "Calais Campbell first Jaguar to win Bart Starr Award: 'a true honor'". ESPN. Archived from the original on May 9, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  37. ^ "Russell Wilson receives 2022 Bart Starr Award". Associated Press. February 12, 2022. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
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