The Mike Utley Award is presented to the player who exhibited tremendous spirit, desire, dedication and work ethic.
This award is given in honor of former Lions guard Mike Utley, who suffered a career-ending neck injury which left him paralyzed on Nov. 17, 1991. Minutes after sustaining the injury, Utley flashed his teammates a “thumbs up” sign as he was wheeled from the field, a gesture that galvanized a team that went on to win its next seven contests and advanced to the NFC Championship game.
This year's Mike Utley Spirit Award, as voted by the players, goes to veteran safety Don Carey.