Steelers Heath Miller wins Ed Block Courage Award

They likely wouldn't announce the voting results for the Ed Block Courage Award, but it's safe to assume Steelers tight end Heath Miller was a unanimous selection among the Steelers' players.

Miller is the team's recipient of the award, the team announced Wednesday, given annually to a member of each team in the NFL who showed courage in fighting back from an injury or event to continue playing football.

He will be presented the award at the 21st annual Arthur J. Rooney Courage House Luncheon Nov. 5.

Miller tore an ACL in December, during Week 16 of the 2012 season. Through rehabilitation, a grueling process that used to be tantamount to the end of a player's career, Miller return to the active roster in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals - incidentally, the team the Steelers were playing when he tore it.

Defensive end Brett Keisel assisted Miller off the field after his injury, and was clearly someone who voted for him. Steelers.com quoted Keisel:

“It’s pretty remarkable if you sit back and think about the injury he had, how significant it was. I didn’t think he would be able to play at the halfway point of this season. It was that bad.

"On the other hand I understand Heath, the second he could start doing something, the second he could start rehabbing, he was there every day doing everything he could to make sure he could get back to playing form. It’s not easy. It’s a painful thing to deal with. It becomes monotonous. You feel like every day is Groundhog Day when you are rehabbing from an injury. It’s not easy to stick to it."

Center Maurkice Pouncey won the award last year, and could be a candidate again in 2014. He will miss the 2013 season after tearing his ACL in Week 1. Offensive tackle Max Starks won it in 2011 after returning from a neck injury that cost him much of the 2010 season.

Former Steelers DE Nick Eason won the award in 2010, and Aaron Smith and Ryan Clark won it in 2009 and 2008, respectively.

Steelers Ed Block Courage Award Winners

2013 Heath Miller

2012 Maurkice Pouncey

2011 Max Starks

2010 Nick Eason

2009 Aaron Smith

2008 Ryan Clark

2007 Ben Roethlisberger

2006 Travis Kirschke

2005 Casey Hampton

2004 Kendall Simmons

2003 Mike Logan

2002 Amos Zereoue

2001 Wayne Gandy

2000 Dermontti Dawson

1999 Chad Scott

1998 Tim Lester

1997 Mark Bruener

1996 Rod Woodson

1995 Jerry Olsavsky

1994 Charles Johnson

1993 Gary Jones

1992 Hardy Nickerson

1991 Mike Mularkey

1990 John Rienstra

1989 Keith Willis

1988 Greg Lloyd

1987 Dwayne Woodruff

1986 Gary Dunn

1985 Pete Rostosky

1984 Eric Williams

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