Tight end Foster Moreau selected for Saints 2023 Ed Block Courage Award
Foster Moreau, a tight end for the New Orleans Saints, was chosen by his teammates to receive the 2023 Ed Block Courage Award. This award is awarded to a player from each National Football League team each year who has overcome hardship.
The purpose of the award is to yearly identify one player from each NFL team who most embodies a commitment to sportsmanship and courage. It was developed in memory of the former chief athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts.
Because of his hard ethic and tenacity during a cancer struggle, Moreau’s teammates nominated him as the club’s winner prior to him signing with the squad.
A New Orleans native, who was a football and basketball standout at Jesuit High School and a four-year letterman at tight end at LSU (2015-18), Moreau was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round (137th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft. Moreau spent his first four NFL seasons with the Raiders, where he played in 61 games with 34 starts and recorded 91 receptions for 1,107 yards (12.2 avg.) with 12 touchdowns.
Moreau became an unrestricted free agent following the conclusion of the 2022 season, where he set career-highs in receptions (33) and receiving yards (420) and among his first visits was to the New Orleans Saints. A routine free agent physical in New Orleans in March, resulted in a diagnosis of Nodular Lymphocyte-Predominant Hodgkins Lymphoma (NLPHL) for Moreau.
Thankfully, NLPHL was a very curable type of Hodgkin’s lymphoma for Moreau. As advised by his oncologist, Rituximab, a monoclonal antibody, was to be administered to Moreau four times as part of his recommended treatment. Moreau would have to be hooked up to an IV drip for the treatments.
Moreau signed a multi-year deal with the Saints on May 10, the day following his last treatment, with the understanding and hope that he would be free to play for the team in 2023. Moreau participated in all OTAs, veteran’s minicamp, and training camp drills after joining the team’s offseason strength and conditioning program right away.
Moreau has ended up playing an important role for a rapidly improving Black and Gold team on both offense and special teams that is making a push for the NFC South division title.
With eight starts in 12 games, he has made appearances in 12 games and is second on the club in receiving with 18 catches for 164 yards and one touchdown.
In addition, Moreau had to recuperate from an ankle injury he sustained in Week Two, which kept him out of the next two games. He made his debut as a Saint on October 8 against the New England Patriots, scoring on a six-yard reception.
Because of his own situation, off the field, Moreau is a strong supporter of leveraging his position to promote recommended medical exams and cancer screenings.
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