CLEVELAND — After making a remarkable return from a devastating knee injury, the Cleveland Browns have named right tackle Jack Conklin their 2022 Ed Block Courage Award recipient.
Named after the former head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts, each of the NFL's 32 teams selects one recipient of the award based on courage, compassion, commitment and community.
After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans, Conklin signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Browns ahead of the 2020 season. In his first season in Cleveland, the Michigan State product earned first-team All-NFL honors while starting in 15 games as the Browns ranked third in the league in rushing, amassed an 11-5 record and earned their first playoff appearance since the 2002 season.
After starting the first five games of the 2021 season, elbow and knee injuries forced Conklin to miss five of Cleveland's next six games. After returning from injured reserve to start against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12, the No. 8 pick of the 2016 NFL Draft suffered a season-ending patellar tendon injury, which required knee surgery and a strenuous recovery process.
Despite the injury taking place in late-November, Conklin rehabilitated in time to participate in training camp and made his 2022 season debut in the Browns' Week 3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football. He has yet to miss a game since making his return, recording 11 starts.
On Thursday, Conklin will be recognized during Providence House’s 27th Annual Deck the House Benefit Auction at FirstEnergy Stadium. The event begins at 6 p.m.