Morgan Moses Wins Courage Award for Comeback from Adversity

Selden’s Landing Principal Tracy Stephens and Washington Redskin lineman Morgan Moses pictured

Washington Redskin Offensive Lineman Morgan Moses, a UVA standout lineman who just completed a great rookie year defending Quarterback Kirk Cousins, won the NFL Courage Award as voted by his teammates. The Ed Block Courage Award, named for a late Baltimore athletic trainer, is given to athletes who overcome injury and adversity to return to their starting positions and play well for their teams.

Moses, a Leesburg resident, played all 16 games at right tackle position and the playoff game. Last season, he appeared in eight games during his rookie season which ended prematurely after he sustained a Lisfranc fracture injury to his left foot. That injury required surgery in December, 2014, including two screws to hold his metatarsal bones together. As the Ed Block Courage Award stated: “Despite being limited while rehabbing in the 2015 offseason training program, Moses earned the starting right tackle job after a strong training camp performance in his hometown of Richmond. Va.”

Redskins Head Athletic Trainer Larry Hess said:

“To go from being a back-up as a rookie and sustain a significant injury to his left foot and then be able to return to the field and earn our starting right tackle position is a testament to his hard work and dedication.”

The Ed Block Awards were held in Baltimore last weekend. Moses was seated at a table with two NFC adversaries, Sean Lee from the Dallas Cowboys and Dan Fells from the New York Giants. “These guys were perfect gentlemen and I enjoyed meeting them and their families at the Block Banquet,” said Moses. The weekend also included a tour of the St. Vincent’s Villa Courage House for children and games with kids and the NFL players.

“You never know what kids are going through and dealing with to overcome adversity,” said Moses. “When I was a kid, I had to move around a lot and live with different family members.” Moses also attended Fork Union Military Academy for part of his schooling to improve his grades before enrolling at the esteemed University of Virginia.

He recently launched the Morgan Moses Foundation, with the goal of “Motivating Others Through Education” (MOE), with offices in Reston and Richmond. The foundation will provide tutoring and mentoring to high school students and reading programs to elementary students who may need more time and attention in their studies.

The next reading program will be at Selden’s Elementary School next Tuesday with about 26 students chosen from Kindergarten through Grade 5 to listen to the NFL superstar read a storybook.

Principal Tracy Stephens is coordinated the project. “We are excited to have the students listen to Mr. Moses’ story of overcoming adversity,” she said. “Even though we live in the somewhat affluent neighborhood of Loudoun County, not everything is always pie-in-the-sky for our kids. I want them to know that it’s worth putting-in the effort in school early on.”

by Mike Smith, Executive Director

Morgan Moses Foundation

BHGMike@aol.com