Awarded for | Rookie of the year in the National Football League |
---|---|
Presented by | Associated Press |
History | |
First award |
|
Most recent |
|
The Associated Press NFL Rookie of the Year Award is an annual award given to the top offensive and defensive first-year players in the National Football League (NFL) as adjudged by the Associated Press (AP). Winners are selected by a nationwide panel of 50 members of the AP who regularly cover the league. [1] The AP has chosen an offensive rookie of the year since 1957 and a defensive rookie of the year since 1967.
Ballots are cast at the end of the regular season, before the playoffs. Since 2011, winners of the AP Rookie of the Year awards are announced at the NFL Honors presentation the night before the Super Bowl along with the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year Award and other AP awards. [2] While several organizations recognize their own NFL Rookie of the Year, the NFL considers the award given by the AP to be its official honor, [3] with the winners listed in the league's annual Record and Fact Book. [4] Quarterback C. J. Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson Jr., both of the Houston Texans, were respectively named AP Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year for the 2023 season.
Richard Marvin Butkus was an American professional football linebacker, sports commentator, and actor. He played football for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1965 to 1973. He was invited to eight Pro Bowls in nine seasons, named a first-team All-Pro five times, and was twice recognized by his peers as the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year. Butkus was renowned as a fierce tackler and for the relentless effort with which he played. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most intimidating linebackers in professional football history.
The Defensive Player of the Year Award is given by the Associated Press (AP) to the most outstanding defensive player in the National Football League (NFL) at the end of every season. It has been awarded since 1971. The winner is decided by votes from a panel of 50 AP sportswriters. Since 2011, the award has been presented at the annual NFL Honors ceremony the day before the Super Bowl, along with other AP awards, such as the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award, AP NFL Most Valuable Player Award, and AP NFL Rookie of the Year Award. The most recent winner of the AP Defensive Player of the Year award is defensive end Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns.
The Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award (OPOY) is given annually by the Associated Press (AP) to the offensive player in the National Football League (NFL) deemed to have had the most outstanding season. The winner is chosen by votes from a nationwide panel of sportswriters who regularly follow the NFL. Multiple-time awardees include Marshall Faulk and Earl Campbell, both of whom won the award three times, each consecutively. Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, Tom Brady, Terrell Davis, Drew Brees, and Peyton Manning have each won the award twice. Campbell is the only player to win the award as a rookie, doing so in 1978. Warren Moon and Priest Holmes are the only undrafted players to win the award. The award is currently held by running back Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers, who received it for the 2023 NFL season after being just the third player in NFL history to post more than 2000 scrimmage yards in a season for two different franchises.
Various entities present a National Football League Rookie of the Year Award each season to the top rookie(s) in the National Football League (NFL). The NFL considers the (rookie) of the year awards by the Associated Press (AP) to be its official honor. The AP awards and Pepsi's rookie of the year award are presented each year at the NFL Honors.
Bruce Rankin Matthews is an American former professional football player who played as a guard, center, offensive tackle, and long snapper in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons, from 1983 to 2001. He spent his entire career playing for the Houston / Tennessee Oilers / Titans franchise. Highly versatile, Matthews played every position on the offensive line throughout his NFL career, starting in 99 games as a left guard, 87 as a center, 67 as a right guard, 22 as a right tackle, 17 as a left tackle, and was the long snapper on field goals, PATs, and punts. Having never missed a game due to injury, Matthews' 293 NFL games started is the third most of all time, behind quarterbacks Brett Favre and Tom Brady.
Taylor Curtis Lewan is an American professional football offensive tackle who is a free agent. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, twice earning first-team All-American honors. He was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. During his NFL career, Lewan was named to three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2016 to 2018. He was released by the Titans after the 2022 season after sustaining season-ending knee injuries in two of the previous three seasons.
Justin James Watt is an American former professional football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Houston Texans. He played college football at Central Michigan and Wisconsin and was selected by the Texans in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft.
Zachary Edward Martin is an American professional football guard for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. Named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, Martin has made nine Pro Bowl and nine All-Pro teams.
Khalil Delshon Mack is an American professional football linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Buffalo and was selected by the Oakland Raiders with the fifth overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft.
Aaron Charles Donald is an American former professional football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons with the St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams franchise. He is regarded as one of the greatest defensive players of all time.
Sporting News began awarding a National Football League (NFL) player of the year award in 1954. From 1970 to 1979, Sporting News chose American Football Conference (AFC) and National Football Conference (NFC) players of the year, and returned to a single winner in 1980. Beginning in 2008 Sporting News chose an offensive player of the year and a defensive player of the year.
The Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player Award is presented annually by the Associated Press (AP) to a player in the National Football League (NFL) deemed to have been the "most valuable" in that year's regular season. While there have been many selectors of NFL MVPs in the past, today the MVP award presented by the AP is considered the de facto official NFL MVP award and the most prestigious. Since 2011, the NFL has held the annual NFL Honors ceremony to recognize the winner of each year's AP MVP award, along with other AP awards, such as the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year and AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The most recent AP NFL MVP is quarterback Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens.
The Associated Press National Football League Coach of the Year Award is presented annually by the Associated Press (AP) to the National Football League (NFL) coach adjudged to have had the most outstanding season. It has been awarded since the 1957 season. Since 2011, the winner has been announced at the annual NFL Honors ceremony.
The Associated Press NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award is presented annually by the Associated Press (AP) to a player in the National Football League (NFL). While the criteria for the award is imprecise, it is typically given to a player who overcomes the worst adversity to return to play even a single snap of NFL football, such as not playing the previous season, injury, or for playing well in comparison to the previous year's poor performance. The winner is selected by a nationwide panel of media personnel. Since 2011, the award has been presented at the NFL Honors ceremony held the day before the Super Bowl.
Roquan Daevon Smith is an American professional football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia. Smith became the first Georgia Bulldog to win the Butkus Award.
Aidan Joseph Bernardi Hutchinson is an American professional football defensive end for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). Hutchinson was a unanimous All-American at the University of Michigan, and the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 2021. He was selected with the second overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions, and named to the All-Rookie Team in 2022. Hutchinson was voted to his first Pro Bowl in 2023.
The Mob Squad is a nickname that was officially used by the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League during both their last season in St. Louis and their first seasons back in Los Angeles. The nickname referred to the team's return to glory in Los Angeles under such players as Aaron Donald, Todd Gurley, Jared Goff, Cooper Kupp, and head coach Sean McVay. The naming also extends to fans of the Rams, primarily used by multiple booster clubs around Southern California.
The 10th Annual NFL Honors was an awards presentation by the National Football League that honored its players from the 2020 NFL season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a multi-site ceremony, with two sites being used in the host city of Tampa, Florida; the Straz Center for the Performing Arts and host stadium Raymond James Stadium, and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.