Peterson wins MVP, Offensive POY
BY BARRY WILNER Associated Press
Sunday, February 03, 2013
NEW ORLEANS — Adrian
Peterson called it a blessing in
disguise.
Strange way to describe career-
threatening major knee
surgery.
The Minnesota Vikings’ star
and former Oklahoma standout
came back better than ever, just
missing Eric Dickerson’s longstanding
rushing record and
closing out the season with two
of the top NFL awards from The
Associated Press: Most Valuable
Player and Offensive Player of
the Year.
As sort of an added bonus, he
beat Peyton Manning for both of
them Saturday night.
“My career could have easily
been over, just like that,” the
sensational running back said."
“Oh man. The things I’ve been
through throughout my lifetime
has made me mentally tough.
“I’m kind of speechless. This
is amazing,” he said in accepting
his awards, along with five
others at the “2nd Annual NFL
Honors” show on CBS saluting
the NFL’s best players, performances
and plays from the 2012
season. The awards are based
on balloting from a nationwide
panel of 50 media members who
regularly cover the NFL.
Manning’s own sensational
recovery, from four neck surgeries,
earned him Comeback
Player honors.
“This injury was unlike any
other,” said Manning, the only
four-time league MVP. “There
really was no bar or standard,
there were no notes to copy. We
were coming up with a rehab
plan as we went."
Before sitting out 2011, Manning
had never missed a start in
his first 13 seasons with Indianapolis."
Also honored were:
Washington’s Robert Griffin
III, who beat out a strong crop
of quarterbacks for the top offensive
rookie award.
Houston end J.J. Watt, who
took Defensive Player of the
Year, getting 49 of 50 votes.
Bruce Arians, the first interim
coach to win Coach of the
Year after leading Indianapolis
to a 9-3 record while head
man Chuck Pagano was being
treated for leukemia. Arians became
Arizona’s head coach last
month.
Carolina linebacker Luke
Kuechly, the league’s leader in
tackles with 164, who won the
top defensive rookie award.
Peterson returned better than
ever from the left knee surgery,
rushing for 2,097 yards, 9 short
of breaking Dickerson’s record."
He also sparked the Vikings’
turnaround from 3-13 to 10-6
and a wild-card playoff berth.
He received 30.5 votes to 19.5
for Manning.
“I played my heart out, every
opportunity I had,” Peterson
said. “The result of that is not
what I wanted, which is being in
the Super Bowl game. But I have
a couple of good pieces of hardware
to bring back and (put) in
my statue area. So it feels good."
Was the knee injury the
toughest thing he’d ever overcome?
“Losing my brother at 7, seeing
him get hit by a car right in
front of me, that was the toughest,”
he said. “But as far as injuries,
yes."
New England QB Tom Brady
was the last winner of MVP and
Offensive Player in 2010.
Dickerson predicted Peterson
could get back to 2,000 yards.
“I hope he does have a chance
to do it again,” Dickerson said,
adding with a laugh, “but do I
want him to break it? No, I do
not."
Wearing a burgundy and gold
tie in honor of his Redskins,
Griffin said his goal is to be
ready for the season opener.
“It’s truly a blessing to be up
there — to be able to stand, first
and foremost,” said Griffin, who
underwent knee surgery last
month. He added that next season
“you’ll see a better Robert
Griffin."
Arians moved up from offensive
coordinator and helped Indianapolis
make the playoffs at
10-6, making him an easy winner
in the balloting.
Watt swatted the competition
as Denver’s Von Miller got the
only other vote in the most lopsided
balloting of all the awards.
“It sets the bar for me,” Watt
said. He led the NFL with 20½
sacks and also blocked an astounding
16 passes. “I want to go
out and do even better. I want to
do even bigger things."
Associated Images:
Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings accepts an award at the second annual NFL Honors on Saturday. Peterson won The Associated Press 2012 NFL Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year awards. AJ MAST/Invision/Associated Press
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