Each year the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation highlights a member of the NFL community for their courage through adversity or dedication to serving the community. Their story is featured during the Courage Awards events with a special award presented during the Ed Block Celebration party.
2021 Honorary Ed Block Awardee Wade Harman
Wade Harman has spent the past 25 years as an assistant coach for the Vikings, Ravens, Falcons and Broncos. He has seen many highs throughout his career including winning two Super Bowls with the Ravens in 2000 and 2012. But his greatest accomplishment comes off the field with his courage this past season that will be recognized as an Honorary Ed Block Awardee.
After the team made the special announcement, then Broncos Head Coach Vic Fangio revealed his assistant coach was diagnosed with prostate cancer eight months ago. ”Went through the treatment during training camp and the preseason,” Fangio said, “Many times we’d be stretching out here at 9:15 am and he’d be pulling in from his treatment and walking right on the field for stretch.” Fangio said Harman is about “as clean as you can be at this stage. As you know with cancer, it’s a five-year type thing, when you can ring the bell and that stuff. But he’s doing really good right now. And we’re all hoping.’’
He just keeps truckin’ along. You guys know Wade, he’s an old country bumpkin from Iowa on the farm. He’s a tough sucker.
Luckily for Harman, the NFL’s extensive physical exams helped team doctors detect his cancer early. “When you do detect prostate cancer early, there’s a high rate of beating it,’’ Fangio said. “And that’s what we hope is the case here.” The Broncos’ head coach added that few inside Broncos headquarters were aware of Harman’s fight, especially early in the process. “He just kept truckin’ along,’’ Fangio said. “You guys know Wade, he’s an old country bumpkin from Iowa on the farm. He’s a tough sucker.”
Wade Harman received the Honorary Ed Block Awardee plaque and was recognized with the 2021 class of Courage Award recipients.
