Bill Nunn Memorial Award Explained

Bill Nunn Memorial Award
Sport:American football
Givenfor:"In recognition of long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football."
Location:Pro Football Hall of Fame
Canton, Ohio
Presenter:Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA)
First:1969
Mostrecent:Jim Trotter (2023)

The Bill Nunn Memorial Award is bestowed annually by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) to a reporter for their "long and distinguished contribution to pro football through coverage". It is named after Bill Nunn Jr., who worked for 22 years at the Pittsburgh Courier.[1]

The award was created in 1969 and was originally named the Dick McCann Memorial Award, after Dick McCann, the first director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[2] However, the name was changed in 2021 due to McCann's association with the segregationist policies of the Washington Redskins when he was the team's general manager.[3]

Presentation of the award is made annually at the Pro Football Hall Enshrinement Ceremony. Prior to 2014, the presentation was made at the Enshrinees Dinner. While the list of Nunn Award honorees is sometimes referred to as the "writer's wing" of the Hall of Fame, they not actually hall of famers and do not get gold jackets or bronze busts like hall of famers do and as of 2024, so far none of the Nunn Award winners have gotten inducted.[4]

Award recipients

Year[5] AwardeePublication
1969George StricklerChicago Tribune
1970Arthur DaleyThe New York Times
1971Joe KingNew York World-Telegram and Sun
1972Lewis AtchisonWashington Star
1973Dave BradyThe Washington Post
1974Bob OatesLos Angeles Times
1975John SteadmanBaltimore News-American
1976Jack HandAssociated Press
1977Art DaleyGreen Bay Press-Gazette
1978Murray OldermanNewspaper Enterprise Association
1979Pat LivingstonPittsburgh Press
1980Chuck HeatonCleveland Plain Dealer
1981Norm MillerNew York Daily News
1982Cameron SnyderBaltimore Morning Sun
1983Hugh BrownPhiladelphia Bulletin
1984Larry FelserBuffalo News
1985Cooper RollowChicago Tribune
1986Bill WallaceThe New York Times
1987Jerry MageeSan Diego Union
1988Gordon ForbesUSA Today
1989Vito StellinoThe Baltimore Sun
1990Will McDonoughThe Boston Globe
1991Dick ConnorDenver Post
1992Frank LuksaDallas Morning News
1993Ira MillerSan Francisco Chronicle
1994Don PiersonChicago Tribune
1995Ray DidingerPhiladelphia Daily News
1996Paul ZimmermanSports Illustrated
1997Bob RoeslerNew Orleans Times-Picayune
1998Dave AndersonThe New York Times
1999Art SpanderOakland Tribune
2000Tom McEwenTampa Tribune
2001Len ShapiroThe Washington Post
2002Edwin PopeMiami Herald
2003Joel BuchsbaumPro Football Weekly
2004Rick GosselinDallas Morning News
2005Jerry GreenDetroit News
2006John McClainHouston Chronicle
2007John ClaytonESPN.com
2008Len PasquarelliESPN.com
2009Peter KingSports Illustrated
2010Pete FinneyNew Orleans Times-Picayune
2011Bob McGinnMilwaukee Journal-Sentinel
2012Tom KowalskiMLive.com[6]
2013 Dan PompeiChicago Tribune
2014 Ed BouchettePittsburgh Post-Gazette
2015 Dave GoldbergAssociated Press
2016 Chris MortensenESPN.com[7]
2017 Ed WerderESPN.com[8]
2018 Charean WilliamsPro Football Talk
2019 Sam FarmerLos Angeles Times
2020 Don BanksSports Illustrated
2021 Bob GlauberNewsday
2022 Jarrett BellUSA Today[9]
2023 Jim TrotterThe Athletic[10]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Bill Nunn Jr. Award. Pro Football Writers of America. March 22, 2022.
  2. Web site: Mini-Bio: Dick McCann . profootballresearchers.org . 18 August 2019.
  3. Book: Johnson . Keshawn . Glauber . Bob . The Forgotten First . 2021 . Grand Central Publishing . 9781538705476 . 17 May 2023.
  4. Web site: John Clayton bio . . 25 March 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100317201328/http://www.espnmediazone.com/bios/Talent/Clayton_John.htm . March 17, 2010 .
  5. Web site: Bill Nunn Memorial Award Winners . Profootballhof.com . March 22, 2022.
  6. http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2012/06/tom_kowalski_honored_with_dick.html Zaroo, Philip. "Tom Kowalski selected to receive Dick McCann Award by Pro Football Writers Association," MLive.com, Friday, June 22, 2012.
  7. http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17234807/espn-chris-mortensen-accepts-dick-mccann-award-pro-football-hall-fame-ceremony Sando, Mike. "ESPN's Chris Mortensen presented with Dick McCann Award," ESPN.com, Saturday, August 6, 2016.
  8. http://www.profootballhof.com/ed-werder-selected-as-pfwas-2017-dick-mccann-award-winner/ "Ed Werder Selected As PFWA's 2017 Dick McCann Award Winner," Pro Football Hall of Fame, Wednesday, June 14, 2017.
  9. Web site: Jarrett Bell Selected as PFWA’s 2022 Bill Nunn Jr. Award Winner . si.com . 23 May 2022.
  10. Web site: The Athletic writer Jim Trotter selected as winner of 2023 Bill Nunn Memorial Award . Pro Football Hall of Fame . 17 May 2023.