the opinion column
In the 78 year existence of the Heisman Trophy, only one defensive player has ever won (Charles Woodson in 1997). In the last 13 years, a Quarterback has won 11 times. Since 1970, only four times has a Quarterback or a Runningback not won the Heisman Trophy. The NFL MVP has gone to a Quarterback each of the last five years, and a defensive player has not won the MVP since 1986, when Lawrence Taylor dominated opposing offenses. In a year where no single player in college was the obvious choice to win the Heisman, Manti Te'o had the best chance that a defensive player is going to have at the Heisman. With a Quarterback still winning the award, I think it raises an appropriate question: Since the player of the year awards have gone to offensive players and Quarterbacks so often, have once respected awards lost their luster?
But, the answer is no. The knock on the NFL MVP is that it
will always go to a Quarterback. This year, that half-a-decade
trend has a good chance to be stopped. Minnesota Vikings
Runningback Adrian Peterson has had a breath-taking season
as he has come back quickly from a torn ACL. Peterson is
averaging 123 rushing yard per game this season and would
only need to average just over 133 rushing yards per game in
order to record just the seventh 2,000 yard rushing season in
NFL history. I believe that if Peterson did pass the 2,000 yard
mark and the Vikings were to make the playoffs, (1 game back
on a wildcard spot), then Adrian Peterson would deserve to be
named the NFL MVP. Also, Lions Wide Receiver Calvin Johnson has a good
By: Ryan Welte
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shot at surpassing the great Jerry Rice's record of catching yards in a season. You have a pretty convincing argument when you can say that you caught more receiving yards than anyone else in the History of the NFL for a single season.
I believe that the fact that we are even considering Peterson or Johnson for MVP proves that
HAVE ONCE RESPECTED AWARDS LOST THEIR LUSTER?
NFL MVP Candidate Adrian Peterson
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the award is not just limited to Quarterbacks.