Shaq Thompson named 2019 Ed Block Courage Award winner

CHARLOTTE -- Linebacker Shaq Thompson is the Panthers' 2019 Ed Block Courage Award winner. The annual award honors one player from each NFL team that shows courage on and off the field. This year's awards gala will take place on March 28.

In 2018, Thompson dealt with lingering shoulder issues throughout the season but still managed to play in 14 of Carolina's games, including 11 starts, ranking second on the team with 87 tackles and recording 3.5 sacks.

Thompson bounced back in 2019 and became one of seven linebackers to record at least 100 tackles and 3.0 sacks, despite missing the final two games of the season with foot and shoulder injuries. On the field, he ranked third on the team with a career-high 120 tackles. Off the field, Thompson persevered through with one of the most impactful moments of his life, the passing of his mother, Patty, in October. Thompson's hard work and dedication was rewarded with a four-year contract extension in December.

Since being drafted in the first round (25th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Washington, Thompson has played in 70 games with 61 starts. He has amassed 413 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 27 quarterback pressures, 13 passes defensed and one interception.

Active in the community, Thompson has been involved in mentoring efforts with Right Moves for Youth and led donation programs tied to his on-field performance for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Charlotte. In addition, he hosts a youth football camp in his hometown of Sacramento, Calif., with his brother Syd'Quan who played for the Denver Broncos. Shaq is also a regular participant in the community efforts of his teammates and other players around the NFL, having lent his time to former teammate Thomas Davis' Defending Dreams Foundation, participating in a Tackles for Smiles dental program with Panthers teammate Kawann Short, and attending youth football camps held by fellow Sacramento native and current San Francisco 49er Arik Armstead.