Hope, a Pro Bowl selection for the first time in his career, has started all 14 games in 2008. He ranks third on the team with 84 tackles and is tied for sixth place in the AFC (tied for 10th in the NFL) with four interceptions. Additionally, he has registered one sack, three tackles for loss and eight passes defensed. !
Veteran safety Chris Hope has been named the Titans' 2008 winner of the Ed Block Courage Award.
To make it to his seventh NFL season, Hope was forced to overcome the most serious injury of his career. In a game at Cincinnati on Nov. 25, 2007, he injured his neck while making a tackle. The condition forced him to injured reserve, and he underwent surgery in January. After a four-month rehabilitation process, he was back on the field during offseason workouts.
Hope arrived in Tennessee in 2006 as an unrestricted free agent from the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 103 career games, his statistical totals include 488 tackles, 15 interceptions, 44 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. The Florida State product was originally drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft.
Previous Titans recipients of the Ed Block Courage Award include Steve McNair (1999), Kenny Holmes (2000), Kevin Dyson (2001), Eddie George (2002), Kevin Carter (2003), Keith Bulluck (2004), Tank Williams (2005), Brandon Jones (2006) and David Thornton (2007).
The Ed Block Courage Award Foundation is named in honor of Eddie Block, who served 23 years as the head athletic trainer for the Baltimore Colts. The 31st Annual Ed Block Courage Awards will be held in Baltimore on March 10, 2009. The ceremony recognizes winners from all 32 NFL teams and serves as a fundraiser for child abuse awareness in NFL communities.
