Thuney, 33, is a Centerville native and attended Alter High School where he was a member of the school’s 2008 and 2009 Division IV state championship teams. He played college football at NC State and earned All-American honors in 2015.
The inaugural award recognizes the top offensive lineman during the regular season and helps celebrate the unsung heroics of players in the trenches.
The award is voted on by a panel of former players, including LeCharles Bentley, Jason Kelce, Shaun O’Hara, Orlando Pace, Will Shields and Andrew Whitworth.
Thuney was selected as a first-team All-Pro player for the third consecutive season and a team captain for the Bears, which won the NFC North and finished the season 11-6 overall before defeating the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round of the postseason. The Bears lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round in overtime.
He thanked his family, as well as former teammates, for helping him achieve the honor.
“I’m not a one-man operation,” Thuney said after accepting the award. “I have a great support system in my family, my parents ... All the former teammates that I’ve had, O-linemen, the brothers that I’ve had, that I’ve made. I appreciate you and you’re a big reason why I play.”
Completing his 10th NFL season, Thuney helped anchor the line for a Bears offense which ranked sixth in the league in average yards per game (369.2) and third in rushing offense (144.5). The Bears also allowed the third fewest sacks (24) in the league.
Thuney was in his first year with Chicago after being traded from the Kansas City Chiefs. After being picked by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, he spent his first five seasons there winning two Super Bowls. His previous four years were with the Chiefs as part of two teams capturing Vince Lombardi trophies.
He has started all 190 games of his career, including the playoffs, in which he has appeared.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
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