Rutgers' Eric LeGrand named courage award winner

Published Dec. 16, 2010 12:06 p.m. ET

foxsports

Paralyzed Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand has been named the winner of the 2010 Discover Orange Bowl Courage Award.

The Football Writers Association of America selects the recipient for displaying courage on or off the field, including overcoming an injury or physical handicap, preventing a disaster or living through hardship.

LeGrand was paralyzed from the neck down Oct. 16, while making a tackle against Army. He is undergoing rehabilitation at Kessler Institute in West Orange, N.J.

The Avenel, N.J., resident was recently taken off a ventilator and is able to breathe on his own. His injury was reclassified from a complete spinal cord injury to an incomplete spinal cord injury.

The trophy will be presented in conjunction with this year's Orange Bowl in Florida.