Isaiah Oliver severely injured his right knee on October 3, 2021 in a game against the Washington Commanders. He underwent surgery on October 26, 2021 to repair his ACL and lateral meniscus. Isaiah remained in Atlanta throughout the off-season and produced a consistent, focused, and positive effort in his rehabilitation with the Falcons Sports Medicine Staff. He was a daily example to his teammates of the power of effort and positivity. He was cleared by his surgeon to participate in time for training camp but started the regular season on injured reserve. He was cleared for full participation in week five and has been a significant regular contributor for the Falcons defense. Because of the impression he made as dedicated teammate, he was selected by his peers for this year’s award by a large margin.

December 17, 2022