Steelers News
Tyson Alualu Named Steelers’ Ed Block Courage Award Winner
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Tyson Alualu missed almost all of last season with an ankle injury.
For his effort to return for this go-round, the Steelers announced Monday that he’s the team’s Ed Block Courage Award recipient.
The award has been given out annually since 1984, honoring one player from each NFL team who shows commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage. Players vote for the winner, who has been courageous in returning from an injury or other life-changing event.
The award is named in honor of Ed Block, a former head athletic trainer for the Baltimore Colts.
“It isn’t an award you want to be up for because it means you were injured or dealt with something tough, but it means a lot with what I went through,” Alualu said to Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley. “I never had an injury that kept me out for as long as I was out. For it to happen so early in the season was tough and devastating to know the season was cut real short. It was a battle.”
Still, the veteran defender relished the process of overcoming the injury and getting back.
“I just enjoyed those hard days and those tough times,” Alualu said to Varley. “Those build character trying to get back and play on Sunday. My mindset was always get healthy and enjoy that grind.”
Alualu has played in Pittsburgh since 2017. A top-10 choice in the 2010 NFL Draft, he spent seven campaigns with Jacksonville. His best statistical season with the Steelers came when he had 41 stops — 21 of which were unassisted — in 2019.
He followed that showing up with 38 tackles in 2020, then was hurt in 2021. So far this season, he’s played over 50% of the team’s defensive snaps only once — in Week 3 against Cleveland.
Devin Bush Jr. (2021), Stephon Tuitt (2020), and James Conner (2019) are other Steelers to recently receive the award.
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