In a team vote, the New Orleans Saints chose defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins as the recipient of the 2019 Ed Block Courage Award, the team announced Saturday. Rankins returned ahead of schedule from an Achilles injury he suffered back in January during a divisional round playoff game with the Philadelphia Eagles, which ultimately caused him to miss just three games. This vote from his teammates recognizes the tedious, painful work Rankins put in during the offseason to recover from an injury that could have ended his season before it started.
“This season hasn’t, statistically, personally, gone exactly as I wanted it to,” Rankins told the Saints website. “But we’re in a good position as a team and I’m continuing to get better. I’ll take it, and it’s always good when your teammates can recognize the things you’ve been through and how hard you battled to come back and try to help the team.”
Rankins currently has two sacks and five quarterback hits through his first nine games this year, posting his best game of the season on Thursday night against the Atlanta Falcons. He sacked Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan once, struck him twice, and hurried Ryan off of his spot and into the arms of his Saints teammates on more than one occasion. It’s clear that Rankins is on his way back to playing like his old self as his body continues to recuperate. His best football is yet to come.
