Chris Brown

For the 21st time former Bills QB Frank Reich and his wife Linda honored an NFL player who carries his faith with him through every part of his life both on and off the field. And to no one's surprise in the building at One Bills Drive, TE Dawson Knox was chosen as this year's award winner.

"This is 21 years of doing this and it's our way to stay connected to Buffalo and continue to give back," said Frank Reich, who presented the award at the 'Call to Courage' breakfast as the Hyatt Regency in downtown Buffalo this past Saturday. "We've been so blessed by that community. This is a special event for us.

"We're trying to honor a player who exemplifies Christian character on and off the field. We really want that to inspire the 700-plus people in attendance. How do we live out our faith in our home and in the community? And Dawson Knox certainly lives out his faith in every aspect of his life."

Knox, who became the third Buffalo Bills player to receive the award, joining Lorenzo Alexander and Kyle Williams, was pleased to pull off his first speech in front of a large audience.

"I've never really spoken in front of a group that large before, but it was fun to go in depth into some of those parts of my faith journey," said Knox. "Some of the things I struggled with and some of the things I overcame through the grace of God."

The program also included the recognition of a local college football player, UB All-American LB Shaun Dolac, and a high school player, Iroquois QB Justus Kleitz. There was also a discussion panel on the state of the NFL and the Buffalo Bills conducted with local media members as well as a video presentation of the Bills 2024 season.