Inaugural NFL Honors Winners
By Elizabeth Montaquila–2/4/2012
The first ever NFL Honors was a success.
The night before Superbowl XLVI, players and celebrities were out in full force.
Actor Alec Baldwin hosted the event with a musical performance by Grammy award winner Lenny Kravitz. It measured up to the hype of Super Bowl week.
But the awards were not just about all the glamor of red carpet arrivals and celebrity cameos. There were many deserving winners.
The biggest winner was Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. He took home two awards. They were AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and Pepsi Rookie of the Year.
After winning his first of the night, Newton told WEBN just how nervous he really was.
“Throughout that whole highlight reel, I felt like I was about to pop this button because my heart was pumping so hard,” he said.
Aaron Rodgers also won big. The Green Bay Packers quarterback took the coveted MVP award.
After winning, the always-humble Rodgers thanked his teammates and coaches for making it possible.
“This obviously is an award that takes a lot of players in order for one person to receive this award,” he said. “And I’m very grateful for the coaching staff that we have, the plan they put together, and the guys I’m able to throw to and the guys that block for me and run the ball. But this is something that’s very special to me.”
Other winners included San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbough for Coach of the Year, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees for Offensive Player, and Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs for Defensive Player. Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow won the Never Say Never award.