Bears tight end Cole Kmet on Wednesday was presented with the 2024 Jeff Dickerson Good Guy Award by the Chicago chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America.
The honor is given annually to a Bears player who best helps the media do its job. It's named after Dickerson, a longtime ESPN reporter who passed away Dec. 28, 2021, at the age of 43 after a year-long battle with colon cancer.
Kmet also won the award in 2022 and thus becomes the first two-time recipient of the honor since its inception in 2013. Safety Eddie Jackson won it last year.
Kmet was presented with the award by Chicago Sun-Times writer Patrick Finley, president of the Chicago chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America. Dickerson's parents, George and Sandy, attended the press conference at Halas Hall.
"I'm avenging my loss from last year, so it's good to be back," Kmet joked. "I appreciate what you [reporters] do for the game. You are essentially our promoters of the game, and you do a great job of that, not only locally but also on a national stage as well. So I appreciate you guys. It's good to see the Dickersons here again.
"[I'm] honored that you guys thought of me this way and hopefully I can continue to help you guys do your job in the future as well."
Selected by the Bears in the second round of the 2020 draft out of Notre Dame, Kmet is in his fifth season with his hometown team. The Chicago area native ranks second all-time in franchise history among tight ends with 256 receptions, third with 19 touchdown catches and fourth with 2,589 yards.
In winning the Good Guy Award, Kmet will be gifted a $1,000 donation to the charity of his choice courtesy of the Vaughn McClure & Jeff Dickerson Foundation.
Fourteen players and coaches received votes for the Good Guy Award, with safety Kevin Byard III finishing second to Kmet.
Previous recipients of the honor were Josh McCown (2013), Ryan Mundy (2014), Matt Slauson (2015), Tracy Porter (2016), Zach Miller (2017), Prince Amukamara (2018), Allen Robinson II (2019), Mitchell Trubisky (2020), and co-winners Robert Quinn and Tashaun Gipson Sr. (2021).
