Wide receiver JULIO JONES of the Atlanta Falcons, cornerback JOSH NORMAN of the Carolina Panthers and rookie kick returner-punt returner TYLER LOCKETT of the Seattle Seahawks are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Month for September, the NFL announced today.
OFFENSE: WR JULIO JONES, ATLANTA FALCONS
• Jones led the NFL with 34 catches and 440 receiving yards and scored four touchdowns as the Falcons posted a 3-0 record in September. He also topped the league in scrimmage yards (440) and first downs (23).
• His 34 receptions are the most in NFL history by a player in his team’s first three games to start a season.
• Jones is the first player in league annals with at least 135 receiving yards in each of his team’s first three games.
• The Falcons are the first club in NFL history to start 3-0 after trailing in the fourth quarter of each game.
• Jones had nine catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns on Kickoff Weekend in a win over Philadelphia. He had 13 catches for 135 yards in Week 2 at the New York Giants. Jones finished the month with 12 catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns at Dallas in Week 3.
• In his fifth season from Alabama, this is Jones’ first career Player of the Month Award.
• He was named the NFC Offensive Player of Week 1.
• Jones is the third wide receiver in franchise history to be named Offensive Player of the Month, joining ANDRE RISON (October 1990) and RODDY WHITE (October 2010).
DEFENSE: CB JOSH NORMAN, CAROLINA PANTHERS
• Norman tied for the NFL lead with two interceptions and had 15 tackles, five passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery as the Panthers finished the month 3-0.
• He had a 30-yard interception-return touchdown in Week 1 and added a forced fumble and fumble recovery in that game. Norman is the only player in the past 25 seasons to have an interception-return touchdown, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery on Kickoff Weekend.
• In Week 3, he sealed a key division win over New Orleans with an interception in the end zone with just over one minute remaining in the game and Carolina leading by five points.
• Norman’s five passes defensed during the month tied for the most in the NFC.
• In his fourth year from Coastal Carolina, this is Norman’s first career Player of the Month Award.
• He is the first defensive back in team history to be named Defensive Player of the Month.
• Norman is the first Panther to win Defensive Player of the Month since THOMAS DAVIS in 2013 (November).
SPECIAL TEAMS: KR-PR TYLER LOCKETT, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
• Lockett had a 105-yard kickoff-return touchdown and a 57-yard punt-return touchdown during the month, the only player in the league to return two kicks for a touchdown.
• He had a 57-yard PR-TD in Week 1 and a 105-yard KR-TD in Week 3 and is only the second rookie in NFL history (TONY GREEN, 1978) to have both a punt-return touchdown and a kickoff-return touchdown in his team’s first three games to start a season.
• Lockett’s 105-yard kickoff-return touchdown is the longest in franchise history.
• His 334 total kick-return yards (240 kickoff, 94 punt) are the most in the NFL.
• In his rookie season from Kansas State, this is Lockett’s first career Player of the Month Award.
• Lockett joins JOEY GALLOWAY (November 1995) as the only rookies in franchise history to be named Special Teams Player of the Month.
2015 NFC PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
Offense Defense Special Teams
September WR Julio Jones, Atlanta CB Josh Norman, Carolina KR-PR Tyler Lockett, Seattle
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