P.J. Locke selected as Broncos’ Ed Block Courage Award winner

P.J. Locke is one of the most-respected Denver Broncos players within the locker room, and on Thursday, he received an honor reflecting that.

Locke was voted by his teammates as the winner of the team’s Ed Block Courage Award, which since 1984 has been bestowed upon one player from each team on the basis of showing courage, character and effort. And few on any team could be more deserving of the honor than Locke.

Perhaps the defining moment for this came late in the 2023 season, when Locke was unable to fly for medical reasons as he dealt with the after-effects of a throat contusion. So, with the Broncos facing a massive Saturday-night game in Detroit, he rode to Ford Field in an RV with three Broncos officials, two of whom split the driving for a round-trip odyssey that covered 40 hours and 2,600 miles.

This year, Locke dealt with a thumb injury that caused him to miss two games before he returned in Week 10 at Kansas City.

But of equal significance is Locke’s career arc, as he took the long way to earn a starting spot in the NFL. Cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers at the end of training camp in 2019, Locke worked his way onto the Broncos’ practice squad by the end of that season, then became a special-teamer after sticking on the roster in 2020.

He gradually worked his way up, earning his initial first-team snaps in 2022 at Tennessee before emerging as a starter in 2023 in the wake of a Kareem Jackson suspension. Locke did so well that the Broncos gave him two-year contract extension in the past offseason.

Locke has often spoken of how his football path made him into the player and person he’s become. He’s always been willing to show appreciation for those who came before him and their influence on him — particularly former Broncos safeties Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson.

But there has long been a chip on his shoulder that has driven him.

“With how I grew up, I was always pretty much an underdog, in a way,” “>Locke said during a 2022 interview. “I was a three-star (recruit) coming out of high school. I had people telling me I shouldn’t go to Oregon, I shouldn’t go to Texas because it’s a bunch of five-stars. And then I ended up starting my freshman year.

“So, even through high school, people were saying that I was slow, and I had to prove it to people. I had to run track and blow everybody out of the water.”

He’s been making his case successfully ever since.

Winners of the Denver Broncos Ed Block Courage Award:

• 1984: Guard Keith Bishop
• 1985: Defensive end Rulon Jones
• 1986: Nose tackle Rubin Carter
• 1987: Safety Dennis Smith
• 1988: Running back Gerald Willhite
• 1989: Linebacker Rick Dennison
• 1990: Center Keith Kartz
• 1991: Quarterback John Elway
• 1992: Safety Dennis Smith
• 1993: Outside linebacker Simon Fletcher
• 1994: Safety Rondell Jones
• 1995: Linebacker Dave Wyman
• 1996: Wide receiver Ed McCaffrey
• 1997: Safety Steve Atwater
• 1998: Offensive tackle Tony Jones
• 1999: Wide receiver Rod Smith
• 2000: Linebacker John Mobley
• 2001: Running back Terrell Davis
• 2002: Linebacker Keith Burns
• 2003: Center Tom Nalen
• 2004: Guard Dan Neil
• 2005: Tight end/offensive tackle Dwayne Carswell
• 2006: Linebacker Louis Green
• 2007: Defensive end John Engelberger
• 2008: Safety Marquand Manuel
• 2009: Safety Brian Dawkins
• 2010: Offensive tackle Ryan Clady
• 2011: Edge rusher Elvis Dumervil
• 2012: Guard Chris Kuper
• 2013: Running back Knowshon Moreno
• 2014: Cornerback Chris Harris Jr.
• 2015: Linebacker Brandon Marshall
• 2016: Center Matt Paradis
• 2017: Linebacker Todd Davis
• 2018: Tight end Jeff Heuerman
• 2019: Fullback Andy Janovich
• 2020: Edge rusher Bradley Chubb
• 2021: Wide receiver Courtland Sutton
• 2022: Wide receiver KJ Hamler
• 2023: Running back Javonte Williams
• 2024: Safety P.J. Locke

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