NASHVILLE – Titans punter Ryan Stonehouse has been selected by his teammates as the team's 2024 Ed Block Courage Award winner.
The award recognizes NFL players who best exemplify commitments to the principles of sportsmanship, courage, and their ability to overcome great adversity. The award is voted on by the players themselves. Each team recognizes an annual recipient for his professionalism, strength and dedication, and for being a role model in the community.
"It means a ton," Stonehouse said on Friday. "It's an honor to have the respect from my peers, and knowing that they watched, and saw me work hard to get back for this team.
"And that was my whole goal: I wanted to be ready to play for this team. I had my own personal goals along the way, but it kills me not being out there with the guys. It's an honor to have my peers acknowledge my hard work, that's really cool."
Stonehouse suffered a torn ACL in the team's December 3, 2023, game against the Colts and he missed the final five games of that season. Stonehouse underwent a grueling rehabilitation process, but he was back in the lineup for the season opener this season.
In 2024, Stonehouse has appeared in all 16 games, and he leads the NFL with a 51.1 gross average on 68 punts.
"Obviously the start of the year didn't go the way any of us wanted it to, not only as a punt team but me as a player," Stonehouse said. "But I think how we've come back and battled these last eight games, at least as a punt team, and it has shown me we have a lot of resilience and we've been able to grow and build. And that is what the NFL is about, being able to grow. We learned some hard lessons early, but we've made improvements and done better lately and that has been really encouraging. Seeing that growth is encouraging."
Founded more than 40 years ago, the award is named for Ed Block, the head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts from 1954-77 who earned a Purple Heart for his service in World War II under General George S. Patton.
