Some of the most prominent honors at ESPN’s ESPYs awards show aren’t about anything that happens on the field of play. The presentations of the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and the Pat Tillman Award for Service regularly draw some of the most attention around that show, which will air live at 8 p.m. ET on ABC on July 11.
ESPN announced those awards’ 2024 recipients Thursday. At this year’s ESPYs, former New Orleans Saints safety Steve Gleason will be recognized with the Ashe Award, South Carolina Gamecocks’ women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley will be given the Jimmy V Award, and Prince Harry will receive the Tillman Award for his work with the Invictus Games. Here’s more on each from an ESPN release :
Former NFL safety Steve Gleason will be honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage for his heroic fight against ALS. The award is given to a deserving member of the sports world who has made a difference beyond the field of play by fighting for what they believe in, impacting people worldwide. After being diagnosed with ALS in 2011, Gleason resolved to face the incurable disease head on. He established his nonprofit, Team Gleason, to empower people with ALS to live purposeful lives by providing broad-reaching programming and support services to help others thrive and ultimately bring an end to the disease. After years of advocacy, Team Gleason successfully lobbied for “The Steve Gleason Act,” which ensures the availability of life sustaining communication devices in the U.S. Since then, Gleason has inspired technology companies like Microsoft to continue developing technology for ALS patients worldwide. Prior to his diagnosis, Gleason enjoyed a successful career in the NFL. During his eight years with the New Orleans Saints, he shocked fans with his astonishing punt block in the Louisiana Superdome’s first game back after Hurricane Katrina, which became a symbol of recovery in the city.
…University of South Carolina (USC) women’s basketball head coach, U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame member and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame member Dawn Staley will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance on the heels of her epic 38-0 perfect season and NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship title. The award not only recognizes her resilience on the court and ongoing support for women’s sports and equality in the sports world, but also for her leadership in the fight against cancer. In the last several years, Staley has been profoundly impacted by cancer, with both her sister, Tracy Underwood, and her friend and former assistant coach, Nikki McCray-Penson, being diagnosed. Their battles motivated Staley to take action and become a prominent advocate for cancer research. She partnered with an organization to mobilize potential donors – especially those in the Black community – to sign up on a bone-marrow registry, Be The Match; she advocated for patient care, research and resources; and she visited and supported those undergoing treatment. In her 24-year coaching career, Staley has tirelessly stood up for women in sports, speaking out regularly to ensure gender equality and diversity in sports, particularly basketball. She has demonstrated incredible leadership and catapulted South Carolina into the national spotlight, leading the team to five SEC regular season championships, seven Sweet Sixteens, four Final Fours and three NCAA championships.
…In honor of his tireless work in making a positive impact for the veteran community through the power of sport, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service, an award given to a person with a strong connection to sports who has served others in a way that echoes the legacy of the former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger, Pat Tillman. After serving for 10 years in the British Armed Forces, including two tours of duty in Afghanistan as a forward air controller and Apache helicopter pilot, Prince Harry founded The Invictus Games Foundation, continuing his service by creating an international platform to support wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women – both active-duty and veterans – who are navigating both physical and invisible injuries. Since inception, the Games have transcended borders and impacted lives across every continent, bringing together competitors from 23 nations, with continued support and programming 365 days of the year. Now celebrating its tenth year, The Invictus Games has evolved into a globally celebrated and acclaimed organization that celebrates resilience, community, and healing through the power of sport.
Gleason responded to this on X/Twitter:
Last year , the U.S. women’s national soccer team received the Ashe Award for their fight for equal pay. That year also saw then-Chicago White Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks (now with the Boston Red Sox) receive the Jimmy V Award in recognition of his comeback from cancer and donations to cancer research, while the Buffalo Bills’ training staff received the Tillman Award in recognition of their efforts in saving Damar Hamlin’s life following his on-field injury. In 2022, boxer turned Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko received the Ashe Award , while ESPN commentator Dick Vitale received the Jimmy V Award and retired Army command sergeant major turned adaptive racing team founder Gretchen Evans received the Tillman Award .
After going without a traditional host for the first time in 2023, this year’s ESPYs will be hosted by Serena Williams . They will again be raising awareness and funds for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. Nominees for the main awards for athletes were announced Wednesday , and fan voting for those is open here . The show will air on ABC at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Thursday, July 11.
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