In theNational Football League (NFL), the highest level of professionalAmerican football in North America, there are a variety of awards presented to recognize players and teams for outstanding achievements. Each year on the night before theSuper Bowl, theNFL Honors ceremony is held to present many of the league's most prestigious awards. In addition to these awards, there are many other organizations that present their own awards after each NFL season, often accompanied by a banquet and other festivities. Because of this, there is a much wider range of awards recognized in football compared to that of other major North American sports.[1]
The Vince Lombardi Trophy is awarded to the winning team of each season'sSuper Bowl, the NFL's championship game. The original trophy, designed by jewelry retailerTiffany & Co., was awarded in 1967 to the winner of the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game, known retroactively asSuper Bowl I. It was named in 1970 in honor of longtimeGreen Bay Packers head coach,Vince Lombardi.[2]
The George Halas Trophy is awarded each season to theNational Football Conference (NFC) champion, i.e., the winner of that season'sNFC Championship Game. It is named after the founder, owner, and longtime head coach of theChicago Bears,George Halas.
The Lamar Hunt Trophy is awarded each season to theAmerican Football Conference (AFC) champion, i.e., the winner of that season'sAFC Championship Game. It is named in honor ofLamar Hunt, the founder of theKansas City Chiefs.
The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Cup was awarded only once—in1920 to theAkron Pros after winning that season's APFA championship. The trophy was lost soon after, and its whereabouts are unknown.[3]
The Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy was awarded to the champions of the NFL from 1934 (thesecond scheduled NFL championship game) through 1969, thefinal NFL championship Game prior to theAFL–NFL merger. It was named in honor of longtime NFL referee, Ed Thorp, who died in 1934. The trophy was deemed lost for decades; it was believed theMinnesota Vikings, who were the last to win the trophy, somehow lost it when the league switched over to the Lombardi Trophy the following year.[4][5] However, in 2015, the trophy was found to be in the possession of theGreen Bay Packers Hall of Fame, along with two replicas.[6]
Amost valuable player (MVP) award is handed out each year to the player adjudged to be the most valuable in the NFL that season. While theAssociated Press MVP award is the most widely recognized today, many selectors have chosen MVPs over the years, including theNewspaper Enterprise Association,United Press International, andPro Football Writers Association. The first award to recognize the NFL's "most valuable player" was the Joe F. Carr Trophy, first given in 1938. Named in honor of NFL commissionerJoseph Carr, it was awarded until 1946, and remains the only MVP award officially sanctioned by the NFL until.[7] TheAP MVP award has been presented annually at theNFL Honors since 2012.[8][9]
The NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award is an annual award given by various organizations to the player who is considered the top offensive player during the regular season. Organizations which issue the award include AP, PFWA, andSporting News. TheAP's award is recognized at the annualNFL Honors ceremony.[8][9]
A Defensive Player of the Year has been recognized annually by various selectors. Awards include theAssociated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award (since 1971),Pro Football Writers Association NFL Defensive Player of the Year (since 1969), andNewspaper Enterprise Association Defensive Player of the Year Award (1966–1997). The Associated Press award has been presented annually at theNFL Honors since 2012.[8][9]
Several organizations have given an award to honor each season's toprookie, usually on both offense and defense. United Press International gave an NFL rookie of the year award from 1955 to 1969, and from 1970 to 1996 honored the top rookies in both the NFC and AFC. From 1964 to 1996, the Newspaper Enterprise Association gave the Bert Bell Memorial Trophy to the NFL's most outstanding rookie. The Associated Press has given an offensive rookie of the year award since 1957 and a defensive rookie of the year award since 1967.Pepsi began awarding an overall rookie of the year in 2002. Since 2011, the AP and Pepsi awards have been presented at theNFL Honors.
Several organizations give an award for the comeback player of the year in the NFL, honoring a player who showed significant improvement or overcame an injury from previous season. TheAP award has been presented annually at theNFL Honors since 2012.[8][9]
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award is presented annually to the MVP of theSuper Bowl. The winner is chosen by a fan vote during the game and by a panel of 16 football writers and broadcasters who vote after the game. The media panel's ballots count for 80 percent of the vote tally, while the viewers' ballots make up the other 20 percent.[10] The Super Bowl MVP has been awarded annually since the game's inception in 1967. Through 1989, the award was presented bySPORT magazine.[11] Since 1990, the award has been presented by the NFL. AtSuper Bowl XXV, the league first awarded thePete Rozelle Trophy, named after the former NFL commissioner, to the Super Bowl MVP.[12] Most award winners have received cars from various sponsors.[13]
Several organizations give a coach of the year award to the head coach adjudged to have had the most outstanding season. TheAssociated Press has also handed out anAssistant Coach of the Year Award since 2014.[14]
This award, which is handed out by theSporting News, is awarded to an NFL executive adjudged to have had the best season building a roster by way of drafting, free agency, and/or trades. It was first awarded by the Sporting News in 1955 and was discontinued until being revived in 1972.
The Pro Bowl is theall-star game of the NFL. The first Pro Bowl was heldin 1951 to recognize the league's outstanding performers of the1950 season. Prior to that, the NFL held an All-Star Game for the 1938 through 1942 seasons.
Various media selectors compile an All-Pro team after each season, an honorary team of the best players at each position. There has been at least one selector of an All-Pro team every season since the NFL began play in 1920. Today, the teams by theAssociated Press,Pro Football Writers Association, andSporting News are designated in theNFL Players Association's collective bargaining agreement for purposes of player incentives, and are thus the most widely recognized teams.[15]
ThePro Football Writers Association honors the top rookies at each position after each season by naming them to its All-Rookie Team.[16]
The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, is given annually to the top linebackers at thehigh school,collegiate andprofessional levels offootball. The award, named in honor ofCollege Football Hall of Fame andPro Football Hall of Fame linebackerDick Butkus, is presented by the Butkus Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports a number of health and wellness activities including the "I Play Clean" anti-steroid program. The award was first established by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, which relinquished control of the award in 2008 following a lawsuit by Butkus.[17]
Traditionally, the award was given only to the top collegiate linebacker. The Butkus Award was expanded in 2008 to include high school and professional winners[18] as part of a makeover by the Butkus family to help endanabolic steroid abuse among young athletes.
In 2013,[19] the NFL created the Deacon Jones Award to recognize the season leader in sacks. The award is to honorDeacon Jones who, prior to sacks becoming an official statistic (pre 1982), is unofficially credited as having led the league in sacks 5 times. Jones is also credited with coining the termquarterback sack.[19]
The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is presented annually to a player in recognition of his charity work as well as excellence on the field. It was originally the "NFL Man of the Year Award" before being renamed in 1999 to honor recently deceasedChicago Bears greatWalter Payton, himself the 1977 recipient. The award has been split between two players on three occasions, most recently in 2016, whenEli Manning andLarry Fitzgerald were named co-recipients.[20]
The NFLPA Alan Page Community Award is given annually by theNFL Players Association to honor a player's service to his team, community, and country. The award, previously named in honor ofByron "Whizzer" White, who after his NFL career became aU.S. Supreme Court justice, was renamed in the fall of 2018 in honor ofAlan Page. Alan Page has been a stalwart for the players union since his early days as an executive committee member as well as a pioneer for social justice during his distinguished 23-year tenure on the Minnesota Supreme Court.[21]
The Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award is given annually to anAmerican football player in theNational Football League (NFL) who "best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field, and in the community".[22] The award is presented byAthletes in Action (AIA), a sports ministry associated withCru (formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ). It is awarded to the winner each year at the Super Bowl Breakfast, an NFL-sanctioned event that occurs the day before theSuper Bowl. The nominee list is compiled by a group of individuals made-up of the Public Relations Directors of every NFL team, past award winners and AIA staff. The list is trimmed to 10 players, with the award winner chosen by AIA leadership and past award winners.[23] However, some past awardees have been chosen by fellow NFL players after the initial list is trimmed down to 10.[24][25]
The Art Rooney Award, established in 2015, is given to a player in recognition of his outstanding sportsmanship. The winner is determined by a vote of NFL players. It is named in honor ofArt Rooney, the founding owner of thePittsburgh Steelers franchise.[26][27]
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