Patriots owner Rober Kraft wins 2012 PFWA Halas Award

All great Teams start with great leadership.  This is the type of leadership that makes the New England Patriots the "class" of the league.

Bravo Zulu Bob Kraft......well deserved and just awesome.

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It Is What It Is» Patriots owner Rober Kraft wins 2012 PFWA Halas Award

06.18.12

By Christopher Price

Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been selected as the 2012 Halas Award winner by the Professional Football Writers of America, it was announced on Monday. Here’s a portion of the announcement from the PFWA:

New England Patriots Chairman & CEO Robert Kraft, who played an instrumental role in last summer’s collective bargaining negotiations between the NFL and the NFL Players Association during his late wife Myra’s battle with cancer, has been selected as the 2012 George Halas Award winner by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA).

Kraft, the 43rd Halas Award winner, is the first NFL owner and first member of the Patriots franchise to receive the honor from the PFWA.

The Halas Award is given to a NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed. The award is named for Halas, a charter member (1963) of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, who was associated with the Chicago Bears and NFL from their inception in 1920 until his death in 1983 as an owner, manager, player and promoter. Halas won 324 games and six NFL titles in 40 seasons as a coach.

While Kraft’s wife was battling cancer during the spring and summer of 2012, he shuttled back and forth between his wife’s hospital bed and the NFL’s labor negotiations with her encouragement. Myra Kraft passed away on July 20, 2011, and five days later, a grieving Robert Kraft stood outside the NFLPA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., as the 10-year CBA agreement was announced.

During the announcement, Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday embraced an emotional Kraft, and said, “A special thanks to Myra Kraft, who even in her weakest moment, allowed Mr. Kraft to come and fight this out, and without him this deal does not get done. I don’t want to be climactic in any way, but he is a man who helped us save football, and we are so gracious for that. We’re gracious for his family and for the opportunity he presented to get this deal done.”