"Aw, man, that's some painful stuff," he said.

So painful, it forced him to the sideline for a few plays late in the game. But not painful enough to keep him out of a game since.

Despite suffering a partial tear of the plantar fasciitis, Jeanty has started every game at outside linebacker and has played better than ever.

"He doesn't want to miss a down," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. "He doesn't want to give his spot up to somebody else and not be able to get it back, so he fights to stay out there."

For that attitude, as well as the difficult circumstances Jeanty overcame simply to reach the NFL, his teammates recently voted him the Bengals' recipient of the

Ed Block Courage Award, which recognizes one player on each team who exemplifies courage and sportsmanship.

Lewis applauded the players' choice. Jeanty said he has been humbled by the recognition and the congratulations he has heard in recent days from Bengals coaches and staff members.

"You never know people think of you like that," he said.

Lewis and linebackers coach Jeff FitzGerald said Jeanty is impressive on the field and off. Now in his third season, he has gained a reputation as a physical player against the run, an improving defender against the pass and a student of the game.

When he was held him out of practice Wednesday to rest the sore foot, Jeanty spent the afternoon tutoring recently-signed linebacker Victor Hobson.

"Rashad Jeanty is a different kind of guy," FitzGerald said.

A guy who has long been comfortable looking out for others.

Jeanty grew up in poverty. His father died when he was a child, and his mother struggled to raise enough money to maintain a home for the family. His mom and siblings were evicted from their house while he was attending Central Florida.

Jeanty flunked out of school soon after, so he headed north to play in the Canadian Football League and used his modest salary to help pay for an apartment for his mother, brothers, sister and nieces and nephews.

After three seasons in the CFL, Jeanty turned down a contract extension and pay raise for a chance at an even bigger raise: He tried out for the Bengals, received a contract, then played his way into the starting lineup as a rookie.

"There are a lot of guys that grow up in the same situation I did," Jeanty said. "It's how you look at the situation and how blessed you really are."

He suffered a broken leg during training camp last year, had surgery to implant a rod in the shin for support, then returned to play in 10 of the final 11 games, with seven starts. Despite being slowed by the bad foot this season, he ranks third on the team with 82 tackles.

FitzGerald bluntly described Jeanty as "a liability" in pass coverage at the start of the season. By last Sunday, Jeanty had improved so much that the coaches left him on the field to cover Indianapolis' athletic tight ends, even after he aggravated the foot injury.

"That position belongs to him. He has earned it," FitzGerald said. "His progress this season has been outstanding."

spriestle@dispatch.com