Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of the Special Olympics, was posthumously awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at The 2017 ESPYS. Her son and Special Olympics chairman Timothy Shriver accepted the award on behalf of his late mother.
Zaevion Dobson, a 15-year-old high school football player, died in December 2015 after he jumped on top of three girls to shield them from a spray of bullets. He was posthumously awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award during the 2016 ESPYS. His family, Markastin Taylor, Zenobia Dobson and Zackelyn Dobson accepted the award on his behalf.
Caitlyn Jenner is the 2015 recipient of ESPN's prestigious Arthur Ashe Courage Award, which honors people "whose contributions transcend sports through courageous action." "This year, we are proud to honor Caitlyn Jenner embracing her identity and doing so in a public way to help move forward a constructive dialogue about progress and acceptance," ESPN said in a statement released last month. Here's a look at other recipients of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award:
Michael Sam —
Michael Sam received the award in 2014. Sam was the first openly gay player drafted by the NFL. He was originally drafted by The Rams and now plays for the Montreal Alouettes as a defensive end. "I cannot wait to put on the pads, get back on the field and work hard each and every day with my teammates to bring a Grey Cup to the great fans here in Montreal," Sam told CNN in May.
Robin Roberts —
Robin Roberts, the 2013 Arthur Ashe Courage Award recipient, broke into a primarily white male's world of sports journalism as a black woman, and ESPN recognized her achievement. The "Good Morning America" co-anchor fought breast cancer and myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare blood disorder. After receiving a bone marrow transplant with the aid of her sister, Roberts was able to recover and return to "GMA," stronger than ever. "It's humbling for me to represent you tonight," she said upon accepting the award. "I draw strength from you. You give me the courage to face down any challenge, to know that when fear knocks, to let faith answer the door."
Pat Summitt received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 2012. She was the head basketball coach for the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers from 1974 to 2012. She's coached eight NCAA Championship teams, written three books and raised a son, who became a head basketball coach at 24. Summitt was forced to retire in 2012 because of Alzheimer's disease.
Dewey Bozella didn't receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 2011 because of something he did, but rather something he didn't do. Bozella was an amateur boxer, who was convicted in 1983 for killing a 92-year-old woman. He served a 26-year prison sentence before his conviction was overturned. During his time in prison, he earned a bachelor's degree from Mercy College and a master's degree from New York Theological Seminary.
The family of Ed Thomas was given the 2010 award in honor of their father. Ed Thomas, an Iowa high school football coach, was fatally shot in 2009 in front of 20 of his students. While accepting his father's award, Aaron Thomas said his dad was more than a football coach. "Anybody who really knew him knew he was led by his faith and then his family and finally his football," he said.
In 2009, Nelson Mandela received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Mandela, the prisoner-turned-president, was honored with the award because of what he did to reconcile white and black South Africans through the 1995 Rugby World Cup, according to ESPN. South Africa hosted and won the Cup, and Mandela presented the trophy to Francois Pienaar, the team's white captain. The story was the subject of the 2009 movie "Invictus," starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.
U.S. runners Tommie Smith, left, and John Carlos received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 2008. The two gave the Black Power salute while receiving their medals in the 1968 Olympics. The two used their spotlight after they won gold and silver in the men's 200 meter sprint to draw attention to the fight for racial equality and human rights.
Trevor Ringland and David Cullen received the 2007 award. They worked with Peace Players International, a nonprofit organization that teaches children basketball because "children who play together can learn to live together." When Ringland accepted the award, he said, "Ask yourself, can you do more? What small steps can you take? And encourage others, recognizing that if we all take a small step for positive change, it has a massive impact on the many problems of this world."
Roia Ahmad and Shamila Kohestani, pictured with presenter Ashley Judd, received the award in 2006. Ahmad and Kohestani were honored for their work with the Afghan Youth Sports Exchange, which aims to empower young women through athleticism to become leaders.
Jim MacLaren, left, and Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah were honored in 2005 with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award for their perseverance, according to the ESPY's website. MacLaren survived two near fatal accidents, leaving him at first an amputee and eight years later, a quadriplegic. MacLaren was at one time the world's fastest amputee triathlete, completing a marathon in three hours and 16 minutes, according to Triathlete. Emmanuel's Gift, a documentary about Yeboah's experience cycling over 600 kilometers after being born with a deformed right leg, was released in 2005.
George Weah was the 1995 FIFA World Cup Player of the Year. He received the 2004 Arthur Ashe Courage Award for his humanitarian work in his home country, Liberia. As a former UNICEF ambassador, he helped to publicize immunization campaigns, supported HIV/AIDS education and coached the national football team.
In 2003, Pat, left, and Kevin Tillman received the award after they gave up their professional athletic careers to join the military, according to the ESPY's website. After the 9/11 terror attacks, the brothers enlisted in the U.S. Army. A year later, Cpl. Pat Tillman was fatally shot by friendly fire in Afghanistan.
United Flight 93 passengers Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, Tom Burnett and Jeremy Glick, were remembered posthumously with the 2002 Arthur Ashe Courage Award. The men, who died in the 9/11 attacks, were all former athletes. Their loved ones accepted the award on their behalf.
Australian track star Cathy Freeman received the award in 2001. "Choosing her was not merely a salute to an elite athlete, but to an entire people," ESPN said in a news release. Freeman represented "the oppressed Aboriginal people," ESPN said, and used the "worldwide sate go raise awareness of her people's plight." Freeman has continued her humanitarian work with the founding of the Cathy Freeman Foundation in 2007, which is based on the principle that "all children deserve the opportunity to learn."
William David Sanders was a teacher and coach at Columbine High School who lost his life in the 1999 Columbine high school shooting. When his daughter accepted the 2000 Arthur Ashe Courage Award for her father, she said the award represented everything he was.
Tennis legend Billie Jean King, right, received the 1999 award because she was a huge advocate for women's sports. In 1972, she won the U.S. Open and threatened not to participate next year if the women's prize money wasn't equal to the men's. King is the founder and first president of the Women's Tennis Association. As head of the World Team Tennis league, she became the first woman commissioner in professional sports.
In 1998, Dean Smith, the University of North Carolina's basketball coach, received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Smith was a civil rights leader who fought against segregation on and off the court. As a high school basketball player, five years before Brown v. Board of Education, he petitioned to combine the white and black basketball teams, according to The Daily Tar Heel. Smith also recruited Charlie Scott, the first black scholarship athlete, to play for the Tar Heels.
Muhammad Ali, three-time World Heavyweight Champion and Olympic gold medalist, received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 1997. Ali is a U.N. Messenger of Peace, the first boxer to appear on a Wheaties box and a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. In 1990, he helped negotiate the release of 15 Americans being held as hostages in Iraq and Kuwait by Saddam Hussein.
Loretta Claiborne received the 1996 award. She was a Special Olympics athlete who competed in many different sporting events. She has awards in track, bowling and figure skating, according to her website. As a member on the Special Olympics board of directors and a public speaker, she advocates for others with disabilities and has been invited to the White House four times.
Howard Cosell, a sports journalist, received the 1995 award for speaking on behalf of those who couldn't speak for themselves. Cosell was also inducted into the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame in 1993.
Steve Palermo, an American League umpire, received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 1994. After a 1991 Texas Rangers game, he was shot in the spinal cord while attempting to stop a mugging. When he recovered, he became a motivational speaker and traveled the world encouraging people to never give up.
The first Arthur Ashe Courage Award recipient was Jim Valvano, a former North Carolina State University basketball coach. He led the team to the NCAA Championship in 1983. His acceptance speech for the ESPY award is known as one of the best sports speeches of all time. "To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives," Valvano said. "No. 1 is laugh. You should laugh every day. No. 2 is think. You should spend some time in thought. No. 3 is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy."
