NFL Honors Salutes Best of NFL in 2014

The night before Super Bowl XLVII, the NFL saluted its best players and plays from the 2013 season with “NFL Honors.” The event started with a red carpet filled with local and national media capturing the who’s who attendees. Players both current and former dressed for the occasion and many brought their family to enjoy in the lime light. Check out some of our highlighted interviews featuring Dolphins Ryan Tannehill interviewing Marshall Faulk, Panthers Luke Kuechly, Panthers coach Ron Rivera, Packers Randall Cobb, TV analyst Kurt Warner and Chiefs Alex Smith  asks Cardinals Patrick Peterson a few questions.

Aired nationally on Fox, the two-hour  awards special from Radio City Music Hall was hosted by the always entertaining Alec Baldwin. Honors given included league MVP, Coach of the Year, and Rookie of the Year.

Here are the well deserved winners:

2013 Most Valuable Player – 2013 Offensive Player of the Year

Broncos – Peyton Manning

Although Manning wasn’t in attendance to receive the award, Aaron Rodgers and Joe Montana announced Peyton Manning as MVP. Manning threw for 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns, with a completion percentage of 68.3 percent, during his record-breaking season. He gets his fifth MVP award and he becomes the first player to win one with two teams.

FEDEX Ground Player Of the Year

Eagles- LeSean McCoy

Deacon Jones Award Winner

Colts- Robert Mathis for having most sacks.

Mathis did all he could to have his greatest season yet. His 19.5 sacks led the NFL and though the Colts fell short of their ultimate goal, Mathis received the Deacon Jones Award tonight as the league’s sack champion.

Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year

Bears- Charles Tillman

The award honors the player who best combines on-field performance and off-field service. Cornerback Charles Tillman has accomplished a great deal on the field during his 11 NFL seasons. On Saturday, he was rewarded for his even greater achievements off the field. Tillman, a two time Pro Bowler, was finalist for the award in 2011 and the winner of the NFL Salute to Service Award in 2012, Tillman has impacted countless people in the Chicago area through his Cornerstone Foundation. The foundation provides pediatric hospital patients with access to iPads, laptops, gaming systems and other kinds of entertainment to help pass the time during their hospital stays and annually reaches more than 370,000 children. His fund has also distributed more than $1 million to over 300 families who have been identified by local organizations as at-risk or in need. The support is provided to families and individuals to strengthen their ability to care for themselves.Tillman and his wife Jackie also have helped build a school in Cambodia, sponsored children through the Urban Promise program in Camden, N.J., and have purchased and donated more than 700 tickets to Bears home games since 2008 through the Bears Home Team Hand-Off program.

Never Say Never Moment Of The Year

Packers – Aaron Rodgers and Randall Cobb

Rodgers’ late touchdown pass to Randall Cobb to lift the Packers over the Bears in Week 17 wins the award.

Come Back Player Of The Year

Chargers – Phillip Rivers

Rivers and his bolo had 35 interceptions in his two previous seasons, Rivers clinched  the sixth seed in the AFC in 2013. Rivers completed 348 of 544 passes  for 4,478 yards, 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Fantasy Player of  The Year

Chiefs -Jamaal Charles

“I’d like to thank God my Mama and Coaches. It’s truly a blessing.”

Pepsi NEXT’s Rookie of the Year

Chargers- Keenan Allen

Allen led all NFL rookies with 71 receptions, led the team with 1,046 receiving yards and set a San Diego rookie record with five 100-yard games in a season.

 Offensive Rookie of the Year Candidates

Eddie Lacy- Green Bay,Keenan Allen- San Diego, Giovanni Bernard- Bengals, Cordarrelle Patterson- Vikings

Eddie Lacy wins Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Defensive Player of the Year Candidates

Earl Thomas- Seahawks, Richard Sherman- Seahawks, Luke Kuechly- Panthers, Robert Mathis- Colts

Luke Kuechly is awarded Defensive  Player of the Year.

“It’s a great honor, I think it’s important to thank people around you, for me its the defensive line.”

Kuechly had two sacks and four interceptions to go along with 93 tackles this season.

Defensive Rookie of the year Candidates

Sheldon Richardson- Jets, Tyrann Mathieu – Cardinals, Kiko Alonso- Bills

Sheldon Richardson was awarded Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Richardson finished the season with one touchdown, a 1-yard gimmick run in the final game of the season, but he did have 77 tackles and 3.5 sacks, enough to bring home the Defensive Rookie of the Year trophy. He is the first Jet to win the honor since Jonathan Vilma did it in 2005.

Coach Of The Year Candidates

Ron Rivera- Panthers,Andy Reid – Chiefs, Bill Belichick – Patriots, Chip Kelly- Eagles, Pete Carroll- Seahawks

Ron Rivera was named Head Coach of the Year.

“Wow, this is kind of cool. I have a great fan base, great group of players, thank you”.

2014 Hall of Fame Class

Aeneas Williams- Played 10 seasons of  his 14 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, Where he collected 46 of his 55 career INT’S.

Derrick Brooks-  Played entire career with the Buccaneers. 11 time Pro Bowl selection and named AP NFL Defensive player of the year in 2002

Walter Jones- spent his entire 13 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and 7 all time Pro Selection

Michael Strahan- spent entire career with the NY Giants  set record for most sacks in a single season in 2001, Won Super Bowl in his final season in 2007.

Andre Reed- Played in the NFL for 16 seasons, 15 with the Buffalo Bills and one with the Washington Redskins.  In 2009 Reed was elected to the Buffalo Bills 50^th All-Time Team.

Ray Guy- Was the first pure punter to ever be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft when the Oakland Raiders selected him with the 23^rd overall pick in 1973.

Claude Humphrey-  Was named First-Team All-Pro three times in 1969, 1970, 1976.Humphrey was  named to the Pro Bowl six times over the span of his career.