When fans take their seats in stadiums, bars or their homes to watch professional football, most of the attention is paid to those throwing, catching and carrying the football. Meanwhile, the five (or more) linemen tasked with protecting those skill players from the opposition go overlooked.

No longer.

Thanks to the efforts of Buffalo Bills tackle Dion Dawkins and retired OT Andrew Whitworth , the NFL has introduced a new award to honor the league's top blocker: Protector of the Year .

College football has long awarded annual accolades for blockers. Now that the NFL has joined in on the fun, the collegiate game might offer us some insight into how this award will be given.

As is the case with most end-of-season awards, team success undoubtedly will increase a player's chances of

See Full Page