Eden Prairie, MN (January 2, 2014) – Vikings KR/WR Cordarrelle Patterson has been named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month after scoring 6 TDs in the month of December, 3rd most in the NFL. Patterson led all NFL WRs with 3 rushing TDs on 10 carries for 156 yards over the final month of the season. Patterson also caught 16 passes for 219 yards and 3 TDs and averaged 27.7 yards per kick return.
Patterson’s honor marks the 1st time a Vikings WR has received the Offensive Rookie of the Month honor since Percy Harvin in 2009. Only Randy Moss, Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin have captured this award as rookies in Vikings history.
On the season, Patterson set several NFL records:
· Longest kick return in NFL history – 109t yards vs. Green Bay (10/27/13).
· 1st player in NFL history to record 4 receiving TDs, 3 rushing TDs and 2 kick return TDs in a single-season.
· Became the 1st player in NFL history with a 100-yard kick return TD, 75-yard receiving TD and 50-yard rushing TD in the same season.
The 29th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft led the NFL in kick return average (32.4), 3rd highest in league history since the 1970 merger, and kick return TDs (2) while breaking the Vikings’ team-record with 1,393 kick return yards in a single-season previously held by Buster Rhymes. Patterson also became the first WR in team history with 3 rushing TDs in a single-season and his 50-yard TD run versus Detroit (12/29/13) was the longest scoring run by a Vikings WR in franchise history.
