PFWA announces nominees for 2024 Bill Nunn Memorial Award

Each year, members of the Pro Football Writers of America select a reporter who has made a “long and distinguished contribution to pro football” as its winner of the Bill Nunn Memorial Award.

Five writers were nominated for the award in 2024, and each is a member of the Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee responsible for choosing the players, coaches and contributors for enshrinement each August.

They are Mary Kay Cabot, Vic Carucci, D. Orlando Ledbetter, Jeff Legwold and Barry Wilner.

Voting ended May 24. The winner of the Nunn Award — and the other awards the PFWA presents each year and outlined below — will be announced later this month.

This year’s Nunn Award will be presented during Enshrinement Week in August in Canton, Ohio. All Nunn Award winners are commemorated on a plaque inside the museum.

Cabot has covered the Cleveland Browns for nearly four decades for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com. Her career has encompassed Bill Belichick's coaching tenure, Art Modell's move to Baltimore, the franchise's 1999 rebirth and too many quarterback changes to count. She is an at-large member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's selection committee, was voted 2015 Ohio Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association and has been an analyst for NFL Network and Cleveland television and radio.

Carucci has observed the NFL as a writer and broadcaster over the last five decades, and he is currently covering the league as a co-host on SiriusXM NFL Radio and as a writer for The 33rd Team. Carucci also analyzes the Buffalo Bills for WGRZ-TV. He worked at the Buffalo News over two stints, most recently from 2014-2021 after previously working for the newspaper for 17 years (1982-1999) during the Bills' Super Bowl era. In between his stints in Buffalo, he worked as a national editor at NFL.com for 12 years (1999-2011) and as a senior editor with the Cleveland Browns (2011-14). He began covering the NFL as the Philadelphia Eagles beat writer at the Courier-Post (N.J.) from 1979-81. Carucci has authored 10 books about football, including multiple New York Times bestsellers, was president of the PFWA during the 1993-94 seasons and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Selection Committee as the Buffalo representative and also sits on the Hall’s Coach/Contributor Selection Committee.

Ledbetter has covered the Atlanta Falcons for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 2006. He has covered the Michael Vick dog-fighting case, Bobby Petrino’s less than one season tenure and the Falcons’ Super Bowl appearance in 2016. Ledbetter also helped cover the Bengals for the Cincinnati Enquirer and Packers for the Milwaukee Journal and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee representing Atlanta and is part of the Seniors Selection Committee. He is a past winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association and a past president of the Professional Football Writers of America.

Legwold has written about the NFL since 1988, and he is currently a senior writer for ESPN.com. He covered the Broncos for nine years for the Denver Post (2004-09) and Rocky Mountain News (2009-2013) before joining ESPN.com in 2013 as the Broncos' reporter. Prior to his time in Denver, he covered the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans for The Tennessean (1995-2004), the Buffalo Bills for the Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle and the Pittsburgh Steelers for Gannett Newspapers. Legwold represents Denver on the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee, and he is part of the Seniors Selection Committee. Legwold was the PFWA president for the 2015-16 seasons.

Wilner covered the NFL for The Associated Press from 1985 until his retirement in July 2022. He helped lead and organize the national and local coverage while also covering the league’s news and events on a national scale. He also regularly broke stories for the AP during that time, using his numerous connections he made in league circles. Wilner first covered the New York Jets as the AP’s beat writer from 1985-2004. He added national duties in 1988, staying on top of the Jets beat. Wilner switched to covering the NFL as a whole in 2005, and he eventually took over as the AP’s point man for all things NFL when the late Dave Goldberg retired in 2009. He served in that role until his retirement. Wilner staffed 36 Super Bowls for AP, oversaw the AP postseason awards voting and is a longtime at-large Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee member and also sits on the Hall’s Coach/Contributor Selection Committee.

The PFWA also presents these off-the-field awards:

George Halas Award (NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed). Nominees are Joe Flacco (Browns), John Metchie III (Texans) and Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins)

Good Guy Award (NFL player for his qualities and professional style in helping pro football writers do their jobs). Nominees are Joel Bitonio (Browns), Dion Dawkins (Bills), Brandon Graham (Eagles), Dak Prescott (Cowboys) and C.J. Stroud (Texans).

Horrigan Award (League or club official for his or her qualities and professional style in helping the pro football writers do their job). Nominees are John Lynch (GM, 49ers), Brian McCarthy (VP/Communications, NFL), Les Snead (GM, Rams) and Troy Vincent (EVP/Football Operations, NFL).

Pete Rozelle Award (NFL club public relations staff that consistently strives for excellence in its dealings and relationships with the media). Nominees are the staffs from the Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers.

Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman Award (Lifetime achievement as an assistant coach in the NFL. Two recipients in 2024). Nominees are Larry Beightol, Bill Callahan, Tom Catlin, Steve Spagnuolo and Jeff Stoutland.

Terez A. Paylor Emerging Writer Award (Young NFL writer who carries on the legacy of Paylor through his or her work ethic, professionalism, and dedication to the craft and commitment to improving diversity in NFL media). Nominees are Ben Arthur (AFC South reporter, Fox Sports), DJ Bien-Aime (Houston Texans beat reporter, ESPN), Katherine Fitzgerald (Buffalo Bills beat reporter, Buffalo News), Daniel Oyefusi (Miami Dolphins beat reporter, Miami Herald), Colton Pouncy (Detroit Lions beat reporter, The Athletic) and Kris Rhim (Los Angeles Chargers beat reporter, ESPN).