Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive lineman Doug Brown has been named the 2010 winner of the Ed Kotowich Good Guy Award. The annual award recognizes a Blue Bomber player for their excellence in combining football ability, team camaraderie and extraordinary effort in the community and honours former Blue Bomber offensive lineman Ed Kotowich.
Brown has been a mainstay on the Bombers’ defensive line since 2001 following a four-year stint in the NFL. In his career, Brown has donated tons of time to various organizations and charities throughout the city of Winnipeg including Variety – Children’s Charity of Manitoba and the Humane Society of Winnipeg. Brown has also participated in many Blue Bomber appearances with the I Love to Read program at various schools and has done public speaking events throughout the province of Manitoba for many years.
“Giving back to the community that employs you and allows you to represent it is nothing one should receive an award for,” says Brown, “but it is an honour to be recognized under the same light as Ed Kotowich and all the previous recipients.”
The award honours Ed Kotowich – a former offensive lineman for Winnipeg from 1955-1961. He played in three Grey Cup games during that time (1958, ’59, ’61) and earned individual recognition as a Western All-Star and as a recipient of the Tommy Lumsden Award as the Bombers’ Outstanding Canadian Player.
After retiring as a player, Kotowich worked with the Winnipeg Rods as an offensive line coach and later with minor football programs at Winakwa and Windsor Park Community Clubs. He also served as an alderman for the city of St. Boniface between 1968 and 1977 and worked on a number of community boards including the St. Boniface Parks Board, the St. Boniface Museum and the Knights of Columbus. He was also an ardent supporter of the Festival du Voyageur and the Boni-Vital pool complex.
Past Ed Kotowich Award Winners:
1987 – Vernon Pahl
1988 – Trevor Kennerd
1989 – Perry Tuttle
1990 – Rod Hill
1991 – Matt Pearce
1992 – Darryl Sampson
1993 – Matt Dunigan
1994 – Matt Pearce
1995 – Miles Gorrell
1996 – Wade Miller
1997 – Wade Miller
1998 – Glen Scrivener
1999 – Dave Vankoughnett
2000 – Troy Westwood
2001 – Brett MacNeil
2002 – Dave Mudge
2003 – Moe Elewonibi
2004 – Matt Sheridan
2005 – Milt Stegall
2006 – Chris Cvetkovic
2007 – Milt Stegall
2008 – Ibrahim Khan
2009 – Jon Oosterhuis
2010 – Doug Brown
