Congratulations to old colleague, Dan Pompei. A much deserved honor to a great guy.
From Brad Biggs in the Tribune:
Dan Pompei, a Chicago Bears/NFL columnist for the Chicago Tribune, has been selected as the 2013 winner of the prestigious Dick McCann Memorial Award for distinguished reporting and will be honored during enshrinement week ceremonies in August at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The award is named after Dick McCann, the first director of the Hall of Fame from 1962-67 who was a former reporter and general manager of the Washington Redskins, and has been presented by the Pro Football Writers of America annually since 1969. The first award was given to the Tribune’s George Strickler and Pompei is the fourth Tribune writer to be honored, also following Cooper Rollow (1985) and Don Pierson (1994), who Pompei calls the “gold standard in the industry.”
“I am blessed and humbled to be recognized with the highest award someone in my position can be given,” Pompei said. “I feel so honored to be considered in a class with Don Pierson, Cooper Rollow, George Strickler and all the other great football writers who have won this award, and so honored to be chosen over the other worthy candidates.”
And some praise:
“Dan was always professional ever since he started as a journalist,” said Hall of Fame Bears linebacker Mike Singletary, an assistant coach for the Vikings. “He’s one of those guys that I always trusted and I always knew if he told me something, that’s the way it was. That’s worth a lot in this day and time.”
His ability to manage relationships with some of the biggest names in the game has enabled Pompei to weigh in on breaking news or trends in the sport with information and analysis that sets his work apart. When linebacker Brian Urlacher and the Bears parted ways in March, Pompei was able to quickly reach Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers for his perspective. During the season, Pompei’s film breakdown after each Bears game is a staple of the sports section. His depth of knowledge and understanding of personnel make him one of the authorities in the business, and his annual draft coverage is considered among the most thorough and accurate in the nation because of his wealth of contacts.
“Dan is very deserving of this award,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “He is well respected within our league, professional in his approach and works hard to understand the game. I have known Dan for a number of years and wish to congratulate him on this honor.”