After missing much of last season with a debilitating knee injury, Eagles safety Jason Kelce was named the Eagles Ed Bloch Courage Award recipient.
Eagles center Jason Kelce has played all but five snaps this season after missing the final 14 games last year with a knee injury and was rewarded by his teammates as their recipient of the Ed Bloch Courage Award.
Each season every team in the NFL honors one player for their ability to overcome adversity and show courage and perseverance both on and off the field. Only the players vote on this award.
The Eagles offense ranks third in the league in yards per game and have steadily been the league's leading rushing offense this season, and much of that can be attributed to the strong play of the offensive line and Kelce's ability to bounce back from his injury and perform at a high level.
Kelce has played 899 of a possible 904 snaps this year, missing five at the end of the 49-20 win over the Raiders.
“He demands perfection from himself, and I think he knows I don't think anybody's going to get perfection, but that is a standard he sets for himself,” Chip Kelly said about Kelce.
“I think if Jason Kelce graded out at 99 percent, he'd be pissed off. That is just the type of guy he is. That's why he's awesome to have on this team."
Rookie offensive tackle Lane Johnson spoke glowingly Tuesday about the mentor-like relationship he shares with Kelce.
"He's been a great friend on and off the field," Johnson said. "I know he's coming off of a pretty tough knee injury that was a setback for him but he's a guy who's always pushing. It's a testament to how hard he works and that's probably the reason why he got the award because he exemplifies that week in and week out.
"He's really helped me along this year and it's just a growing experience. He's really been a lot of help for me."
There are few relationships in sports quite like the one shared between quarterback and center, and Nick Foles sees first hand the kind of effort that Kelce puts in on a daily basis and the impact he has on the success of this offense.
"This is Jason's third year in the NFL and if you met him, you'd think it was his 11th or 12th just by the way he carries himself," Foles said. "He's a veteran, that beard makes him look a little older.
"That injury he had last year, he was looking for a big year. He was making all of the calls and he really sets the tone for that entire offensive line. Just to see how he was still motivating the guys while he was injured last year, you could see how he was helping guys like Dallas Reynolds out, I got to see how he rehabbed in the training room and weight room, he's come back stronger than ever.
"He's a great friend of mine, I couldn't be prouder of him and he couldn't be a better guy for the award."
For Kelce, it's the recognition of his teammates that he appreciates most about the award.
"Obviously it's a tremendous honor," Kelce said Tuesday. "I feel like the guys who get it usually have a lot of respect from their teammates because it's voted on by the players, and in terms of that, that's what I appreciate most. It's nice to see guys understanding that this was a tough offseason for me and obviously they voted for me for that reason."
Matt Lombardo is the Editor-In-Chief of Eagledelphia and also an on-air personality on 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia. Join the conversation and follow Matt on Twitter.
