News

Witten wins Bart Starr Award

By Katie Neff, Athletes In Action January 8, 2013



NEW ORLEANS (Jan. 7, 2013) — Athletes in Action announced today that Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten will be honored with the 2013 Bart Starr Award, which recognizes one NFL player for outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community.  
 
Witten will be honored during the 26th Annual NFL-Sanctioned Super Bowl Breakfast, presented by Companies with a Mission, on Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, at 8 a.m. CST at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans (601 Loyola Ave.).  
 
Other finalists for the award were Matt Hasselbeck, quarterback for the Tennessee Titans, and Justin Tuck, defensive end for the New York Giants.  
 
In addition to this year’s award winner, the morning will include special guests Lewis Johnson, Brent Jones, Danny Wuerffel and other NFL athletes and coaches to be announced.
 
The winner of the Bart Starr Award is voted on by NFL players and is named after NFL Hall of Famer Bart Starr. The award honors the player who best exemplifies Starr’s commitment to family, teammates and the community.  Past winners include London Fletcher, Drew Brees, Kurt Warner, LaDainian Tomlinson, Reggie White and Mike Singletary.  
 
In his tenth season in the NFL, Witten has been active in numerous charitable projects. He founded Jason Witten’s SCORE Foundation, which supports a variety of outreach programs and building projects in Texas and his native Tennessee. Specifically, the Jason Witten SCOREkeepers program places trained male mentors in battered women’s shelters throughout Texas. In an effort to break the cycle of domestic violence, the mentors demonstrate positive male behavior for the children living in these shelters.
 
Witten has also been involved in the Children’s Cancer Fund Fashion Show, NFL Play 60, Boys and Girls Club of America and the Make-a-Wish Foundation, among many other projects.   Priority and corporate tables are still available and may be purchased by calling (800) 416-9472. Additional information can also be found at www.superbowlbreakfast.com.
 
About the Athletes in Action Super Bowl Breakfast The Super Bowl Breakfast is an NFL-sanctioned event hosted by Athletes in Action. The signature event of Super Bowl week has taken place in the game’s host city every year since 1988, drawing sellout crowds to hear from some of the game’s biggest names. The Bart Starr Award, given away at the breakfast, honors Starr’s lifelong commitment to serving as a positive role model to his family, teammates and community. The winner of the Bart Starr Award is determined by NFL player balloting at the end of the regular season. The award is one of only two individual honors selected by the players themselves.