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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

Bart Starr Award
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". 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. However, some past awardees have been chosen by fellow NFL players after the initial list is trimmed down to 10. 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". 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.

Steve Largent, the Hall of Fame former wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks, was the winner of the inaugural award in 1989. 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. Historically, the award has only been given to one player a year, however in 1998, Irving Fryar and Brent Jones shared the award. The award has been given to one set of brothers (Peyton and Eli Manning in 2015 and 2019 respectively) and one father and son (Jackie and Matthew Slater in 1996 and 2017 respectively). The most recent awardee was Minkah Fitzpatrick, safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers, in 2024.

Award winners

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