Rodney Hudson was selected by teammates as the Raiders' Commitment to Excellence Award winner for the 2017 season.
Hudson was presented with the award by the Steering Committee for the Booster Clubs of the Oakland Raiders prior to the Silver and Black's home finale against the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 17. He will be honored at the annual Commitment to Excellence Award dinner in March.
Hudson was named to his second-straight Pro Bowl earlier this week after starting every game for the Raiders this year, including last week's game in which he played every offensive snap despite battling a kidney stone. He was joined on the AFC Pro Bowl roster by fellow line mates Kelechi Osemele and Donald Penn. Since signing with the Raiders as an unrestricted free agent in 2015, Hudson has started all 43 games in which he has appeared. He was initially drafted by Kansas City in 2011 and played for the Chiefs for four seasons.
Hudson is the first center since Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Otto (1968 and 1971) to be tabbed for the Commitment to Excellence Award and becomes the first offensive lineman to win the team's highest honor since Barry Sims shared the recognition with wide receiver Ronald Curry in 2004. Quarterback Derek Carr earned the award last season.
Voted on by Raiders players, the Commitment to Excellence Award is presented annually to the Raider who best exemplifies hard work, leadership, and excellence on and off the field throughout the season. The honor originated in 1967 as the Gorman Award and was re-named the Commitment to Excellence Award in 1983.
