Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick received the Bart Starr Award at the 36th annual Super Bowl breakfast in Las Vegas this morning.
Fitzpatrick was selected by his peers for the award, which honors a player for his outstanding character, integrity and leadership on and off the field.
"The award is given every year to an NFL player, and that player is selected by his peers, by the rest of the players in the NFL," said Hall of Fame Coach Tony Dungy, an honorary co-chairman of the Super Bowl Breakfast, as he introduced the award. "And it's not for accolades on the field, it's the best representation of character and leadership, first in the home, then on the field and in the community."
Fitzpatrick is a true leader for the Steelers on the field and in the locker room. He sets an example for younger players with his work ethic and approach, and also gives veterans someone they can look to for advice and guidance.
Past winners of the award were on hand to present it to Fitzpatrick, including Anthony Munoz, Mike Singletary, Darrell Green and Warrick Dunn. But it was Coach Mike Tomlin who had the honor of introducing Fitzpatrick and speaking about him.
"What a blessing and honor to be here," said Tomlin. "Particularly because of that young man sitting before me. I am never surprised by God's greater plan. I'm just always ready to receive it.
"A couple of nights ago, we recognized Cam Heyward with the Walter Payton Man of the Year. This morning it's Minkah Fitzpatrick. It's not my style to be at the Super Bowl site to be quite honest with you, unless I'm working. I'm leaving here and going directly to the airport. This man, Minkah Fitzpatrick, is so deserving of this recognition. I would not miss this. I read the description of what this award embodies…a man of high character, values, integrity, and leadership on and off the field.
"And it could have just said, Minkah Fitzpatrick.
"I've had the pleasure of being around this guy day-to-day since we acquired him in 2019 and he just continually displays that. Oftentimes he gets recognized for his extraordinary successes on the field and the talents, but those of us that know him, we appreciate those things. But we appreciate Minkah so much more.
"It is an honor to be associated with him and it's an honor to present him with the Bart Starr Award."
The award is presented through the faith-based organization Athletes in Action, and Fitzpatrick fittingly started his acceptance speech off with a prayer.
Fitzpatrick is a player who quietly goes about his business, while still making a huge impact. The Steelers 2022 Most Valuable Player has found success on the field since he was traded to the team in 2019.
He isn't one who likes to speak in front of crowds, but he was thankful for the award and shared his journey of faith during the 2023 season, which included struggles as he missed seven games due to injury.
He showed a vulnerable side during his speech, a side he rarely shows to anyone, but one that he allowed to be seen because of his strong faith.
"First I want to thank Coach Tomlin for all the kind words he said," said Fitzpatrick. "He's not always this nice to me, especially if I mess up on the play.
"When I was told that I won this award, it came as a surprise to me. This past year I missed a lot of playing time, I missed seven games, I wasn't able to finish three. So, I had a lot of time to do a lot of reflecting, a lot of time in isolation, a lot of time in meditation along with God, just sitting at his feet. I've always prided myself on the fact that I'm always working on myself. I'm always working on my relationships. I'm always working on being a better man, a better brother, a better son, a better football player. As I was sitting at his feet and just letting him work on me, work on my heart. He revealed a lot to me. He revealed to me that I use this game and my craft at times as an excuse to not fulfill my duties as a brother, to not fulfill my duties as a son. To not be there for my people in my life.
"He also revealed to me that I can fail to be delicate with the beautiful flowers and beautiful people that are placed in my life. This game is not always the most gentle game. It's not always the most soft-spoken game. Sometimes it's hard to flip the switch from being a hard-hitting safety to have to be a tender and loving son to a mother who just lost her mother.
"He also revealed to me during that time, that I can fail to empathize with other people. Not because I can't feel what they feel, or don't want to, but because in order to empathize with somebody you have to get on their level and go to a place with them that might be uncomfortable for you and for the other person. Sometimes it can be hard for me to be vulnerable with people. Whether it be a teammate, a friend or my little brother, it can be hard for me to do those things."
Winning the award helped Fitzpatrick have the ability and desire to reflect on what he has learned about himself, how he has grown and continues to grow.
"I'm honored to win this award," said Fitzpatrick, who was joined by teammate Miles Killebrew and former teammate Robert Spillane at the event. "But like I said it surprised me that I won this award because there was a lot that I learned about myself that I need to continue to grow, continue to develop.
"As I went about this this past season, I was feeling defeated because one, I wasn't able to play the game that I love. I wasn't able to be the player that everybody relied on me to be. I couldn't go out there for Coach and play for him. I was down and out. I was doing whatever I could to distract myself whether that was sitting in meetings on Tuesdays and whether I was paying attention or not. I was just distracting myself.
"I remember asking myself questions. I'm trying to be a better man, I'm trying to be a good man. And I remember asking myself the question, what is a good man, and I was dwelling on it for weeks. I pride myself on being a good man. But really what is that? I'm sitting in my prayer time, my quiet time, God started speaking to me, telling me a good man is a dead man. And at first I heard that and I was like, I don't really know what that means. I want to live. But then he revealed it to me.
"One of the first requirements that Jesus gave his disciples was to take up his cross, and to follow Him. A lot of us think of cross as gold crosses they wear on their neck or may have a tattoo. But the cross was an instrument of torture. It was an instrument of humiliation. It was an instrument that for an evil cause, but what Jesus did when he got on the cross was turn it into a beautiful thing. The fact that he died on that cross and made the cross a beautiful thing is what God was saying to me. A good man is a dead man. A good man is a man who is willing to pick up his cross and follow Jesus. A good man is a man who's willing to get up on that cross daily, sometimes multiple times throughout the day, pin his flesh to it and continue to follow Christ."
And that is something Fitzpatrick tries to do in all of the work he does both on and off the field.
Fitzpatrick launched a campaign through his faith-based Unshackled Foundation to benefit foster children served by KidsVoice, an agency in Allegheny County that advocates for abused and neglected children. He raised money through donations of $39 for every tackle and turnover he made. He also worked with Dreambuilders Foundation to give away bikes to local foster kids.
His impact off the field has been equally notable. He is a member of the Steelers Social Justice Committee, reaching out to youth and organizations in the Pittsburgh area to open up lines of communication.
"As I receive this award for my good character, my good relationship with the Lord, I just want everybody to know that I'm nothing but the product of sitting at the feet of Jesus," said Fitzpatrick. "I'm nothing but a product of a man who sits at the feet of Jesus, at the foot of the cross and lets him mold his heart, mold his mind. I'm not a perfect man by any means, way, shape or form. You can ask my mom.
"I'm thankful for this award. I'm thankful for my peers for voting me for this award. But if you want to be a good man, if you want to be a great brother, a great son, great husband, sit at the feet of the cross, sit in silence with Jesus, sit in silence with God, let him mold you. Let him work on your heart. And I know you'll be everything that you want to be.
"I want to thank the Starr family for nominating me for the award. I want to thank all my teammates and peers who voted for me for the award.
"And go Steelers and God Bless."
