The Chuck Hughes Award is presented to the player who, because of hard work and determination, showed significant development and improvement during the past year.
This award is given in memory of Chuck Hughes, a Lions’ reserve wide receiver who played two seasons with the Lions (1970-71); Hughes is the only NFL player to have died during action on a football field, having suffered a fatal heart attack during Detroit’s game against Chicago on October 24, 1971.
This year's Chuck Hughes Most Improved Player Award, as voted by the players, goes to defensive end Kerry Hyder:
- After spending most of 2015 on the Lions practice squad, Hyder was signed to the active roster Week 17 where he saw action on defense and special teams, but did not record any stats.