ED BLOCK AWARD RECIPIENT
DT - Willie Whitehead
New Orleans Saints' defensive end/defensive tackle Willie Whitehead returned to action in 2004 after battling back from off-season knee surgery that kept him on the sidelines for the first nine games of the season. He suffered the right knee injury last season in mid-November, keeping him out of the lineup for the final four games of 2003. Whitehead underwent surgery to repair the joint in the spring and continued his rehabilitation while on the club's Physically Unable to Perform list throughout training camp and the first 10 weeks of the 2004 NFL season. The workouts to get his knee back in playing shape were often done in solitary while the rest of the team practiced. Whitehead returned to the active roster on November 9 and became an immediate contributor, adding veteran depth and energy to the defensive front. His 23 sacks since joining the Saints in 1999 is the third-highest total on the team over that span and no current player has been with the New Orleans Saints longer.
