Steelers offensive lineman Mason Cole has been named the recipient of the 2022 The Chief Award by the Pittsburgh chapter of the Pro Football Writers Association.
The award is given annually to the member of the Steelers organization that “best exemplifies the spirit of cooperation with the media” of team founder Arthur J. Rooney Sr.
Mason Cole, who was signed from the Minnesota Vikings in the offseason, is a first-time winner of the award. The 2021 winner was Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward, who is a three-time winner of the award. Cole is the first offensive lineman to win the award since David DeCastro won in 2017. He joins Alan Faneca, Ramon Foster, and Tunch Ilkin as the fourth winner of the award along the offensive line.
Here is the full list of Chief Award winners:
1988 Dan Rooney
1989 Dwayne Woodruff
1990 Merril Hoge
1991 Gerald Williams
1992 Tunch Ilkin
1993 D.J. Johnson
1994 Rod Woodson
1995 Levon Kirkland
1996 Chad Brown
1997 Darren Perry
1998 Jerome Bettis
1999 Lee Flowers
2000 Jerome Bettis
2001 Lee Flowers
2002 Hines Ward
2003 Mike Logan
2004 Jerome Bettis
2005 Alan Faneca
2006 Brett Keisel and Deshea Townsend
2007 Alan Faneca
2008 Ryan Clark
2009 James Farrior
2010 Ben Roethlisberger
2011 James Farrior
2012 Casey Hampton
2013 Ike Taylor
2014 Cameron Heyward
2015 Ramon Foster
2016 Arthur Moats
2017 David DeCastro
2018 Joe Haden
2019 Cameron Heyward
2020 Ben Roethlisberger
2021 Cameron Heyward
2022 Mason Cole