From March 28, 2008 San Diego Chargers & NFL.com press release:
March 27, 2008 — On Friday, April 4, James Brown, host of “THE NFL TODAY” on CBS, along with “THE NFL TODAY” analyst and former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher, will honor some of the NFL’s biggest heroes at the NFL PLAYERS Gala Featuring the JB Awards, an annual awards presentation benefiting Special Olympics District of Columbia. For the fifth consecutive year, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) and NFL PLAYERS, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFLPA, have partnered with Brown to recognize NFL players for their individual contributions to their communities with the JB Awards.“I am privileged to once again join efforts with the NFLPA and NFL PLAYERS in their annual tradition of honoring NFL players for their off-the-field achievements,” said Brown. “It is a great honor to be involved in an event that brings together positive role models and makes a difference in the lives of the men, women and children of Special Olympics D.C.”
JB Award recipients were nominated by their teammates at the end of the season for their commitment to achieve excellence off the field through building better communities and stronger families. Out of the 32 players nominated (one per team), Brown personally selected the following 12 players to receive a JB Award*: Marques Douglas (San Francisco 49ers), Chris Draft (St. Louis Rams), Warrick Dunn (Atlanta Falcons), Braylon Edwards (Cleveland Browns), Israel Idonije (Chicago Bears), Kassim Osgood (San Diego Chargers), Matt Stover (Baltimore Ravens), Mack Strong (Seattle Seahawks), James Thrash (Washington Redskins), Kurt Warner (Arizona Cardinals), Brian Waters (Kansas City Chiefs), and Roy Williams (Dallas Cowboys)*. As in years past, award recipients attending the Gala will participate in a panel discussion.
The surprise of the evening will be the presentation of the prestigious 42nd annual Byron “Whizzer” White Award, chosen from among the JB Award winners listed in the paragraph above. The winner will be selected by an independent celebrity panel of judges, which includes NEA President and CEO Harriet Sanford, Gatorade’s Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing Jeff Urban and Rick “Doc” Walker, host of SportsTalk 980’s “The Doc Walker Show” and Comcast SportsNet’s “Doc Walker’s ProView.” The “Whizzer” White Award is presented annually to the player who serves his team, community and country in the spirit of Byron Raymond “Whizzer” White. The late Supreme Court Justice was a scholar, athlete, patriot, humanitarian and public servant – the personification of the ideal to which professional football players aspire.
In addition to these award recipients, Brown will also present special JB Awards to recognize the personal accomplishments of others around the NFL. Honorees to receive individual JB Awards include Dan Marino (Hall of Fame) – Lifetime Achievement; Derrick Brooks (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – Empowering Youth; Amobi Okoye (Houston Texans) – Global Dedication; and Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings) – Emerging Leader.
Keywords: James Brown NFL today CBS Kassim Osgood San Diego Chargers
