In addition to the presentation of the award to Hill, the special guest speaker for the event will be former Detroit Lion and current ESPN commentator Chris Spielman. Also, the Ricky Sandoval Award will be presented to Lions’ recently retired senior director of community affairs, Tim Pendell.
Now in his 10th season in the NFL, the Lions acquired Hill in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers in March of 2010. He has added valuable depth to the team’s quarterback position as a proven, veteran quarterback. In 2010, Hill started 10 games for the Lions in place of injured
After starting five games, he suffered a fractured forearm. Through determination and hard work, he was able to come back later in the year to start an additional 5 games, fighting through injuries all season long.
On January 29, 2011, he lost his father, Ted Hill, who was his best friend and high school football coach, in a tragic accident while working side by side on a project on their farm in Missouri.
“Shaun Hill epitomizes what the Ed Block Courage Award is all about. He fought through multiple recent football-related injuries as well as personal tragedy, only to emerge triumphant over all of them,” praised Lions’ coordinator of athletic medicine Dean Kleinschmidt. “From an in-season 2010 fractured left forearm, necessitating surgical repair with a plate and screws, to a 2010 throwing hand fracture, to a ruptured lumbar disc in his back during the 2011 NFL Lockout requiring surgical intervention, he has maintained a perfectly positive attitude. His hard work in recovery from all of these setbacks has certainly benefitted both he and the Lions.”
“Shaun Hill is a leader and team player in every sense of the word. If the Lions had a “Good Guy of the Year” Award, Shaun would win that also. It certainly takes a special type of person and athlete to be a franchise’s back-up quarterback. The Lions have that person in Shaun Hill.”
The national Ed Block Courage Award Dinner to honor Hill and 31 other NFL recipients will be held early next year in Baltimore. The award is named in honor of the late Ed Block, former athletic trainer for the Baltimore Colts, who devoted much of his time and money helping abused children.
Previous Lions’ Block Award Recipients have been: LB Ken Fantetti (1984), G/T Keith Dorney (1985), C Steve Mott (1986), CB Duane Galloway (1987), WR Carl Bland (1988), LB Jimmy Williams (1989), CB Bruce McNorton (1990), G Mike Utley (1991), G Ken Dallafior (1992) and C Kevin Glover (1993), LB Victor Jones (1994), WR Aubrey Matthews (1995), S Bennie Blades (1996), T Ray Roberts (1997), LB George Jamison (1998), DL Dan Owens (1999), DT James Jones (2000), QB Charlie Batch (2001), FB Cory Schlesinger (2002), DE Robert Porcher (2003), DE Jared DeVries (2004), LB Boss Bailey (2005), the late Lions’ director of security Ricky Sandoval (2006), RB Kevin Jones (2007), S Daniel Bullocks (2008), T
Tickets are still available for the Lions’ Courage House Dinner. For ticket information or to make reservations call 313-216-4171. Individual tickets are $150.
