NFL Rookie of the Year Award

Since 1967 The Associated Press has given two annual Rookie of the Year Awards to NFL American football players: one for an offensive player and one for a defensive player. These two are often regarded as the "official" awards. However, the league recognizes multiple other awarding agencies including, but not limited to, The Sporting News, Pro Football Weekly, Sports Illustrated, and Diet Pepsi.

AP Offensive Rookies of the Year

Season	Player	Team	Position
1967	Mel Farr	Detroit Lions	Running back
1968	Earl McCullouch	Detroit Lions	Offensive end
1969	Calvin Hill	Dallas Cowboys	Running back
1970	Dennis Shaw	Buffalo Bills	Quarterback
1971	John Brockington	Green Bay Packers	Running back
1972	Franco Harris	Pittsburgh Steelers	Running back
1973	Chuck Foreman	Minnesota Vikings	Running back
1974	Don Woods	San Diego Chargers	Running back
1975	Mike Thomas	Washington Redskins	Running back
1976	Sammy White	Minnesota Vikings	Wide receiver
1977	Tony Dorsett	Dallas Cowboys	Running back
1978	Earl Campbell	Houston Oilers	Running back
1979	Ottis Anderson	St. Louis Cardinals	Running back
1980	Billy Sims	Detroit Lions	Running back
1981	George Rogers	New Orleans Saints	Running back
1982	Marcus Allen	Los Angeles Raiders	Running back
1983	Eric Dickerson	Los Angeles Rams	Running back
1984	Louis Lipps	Pittsburgh Steelers	Wide receiver
1985	Eddie Brown	Cincinnati Bengals	Wide receiver
1986	Rueben Mayes	New Orleans Saints	Running back
1987	Troy Stradford	Miami Dolphins	Running back
1988	John Stephens	New England Patriots	Running back
1989	Barry Sanders	Detroit Lions	Running back
1990	Emmitt Smith	Dallas Cowboys	Running back
1991	Leonard Russell	New England Patriots	Running back
1992	Carl Pickens	Cincinnati Bengals	Wide receiver
1993	Jerome Bettis	Los Angeles Rams	Running back
1994	Marshall Faulk	Indianapolis Colts	Running back
1995	Curtis Martin	New England Patriots	Running back
1996	Eddie George	Houston Oilers	Running back
1997	Warrick Dunn	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Running back
1998	Randy Moss	Minnesota Vikings	Wide receiver
1999	Edgerrin James	Indianapolis Colts	Running back
2000	Mike Anderson	Denver Broncos	Running back
2001	Anthony Thomas	Chicago Bears	Running back
2002	Clinton Portis	Denver Broncos	Running back
2003	Anquan Boldin	Arizona Cardinals	Wide receiver
2004	Ben Roethlisberger	Pittsburgh Steelers	Quarterback
2005	Carnell Williams	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Running back
2006	Vince Young	Tennessee Titans	Quarterback

AP Defensive Rookies of the Year

Season	Player	Team	Position
1967	Lem Barney	Detroit Lions	Cornerback
1968	Claude Humphrey	Atlanta Falcons	Defensive end
1969	Joe Greene	Pittsburgh Steelers	Defensive tackle
1970	Bruce Taylor	San Francisco 49ers	Cornerback
1971	Isiah Robertson	Los Angeles Rams	Linebacker
1972	Willie Buchanon	Green Bay Packers	Cornerback
1973	Wally Chambers	Chicago Bears	Defensive tackle
1974	Jack Lambert	Pittsburgh Steelers	Linebacker
1975	Robert Brazile	Houston Oilers	Linebacker
1976	Mike Haynes	New England Patriots	Cornerback
1977	A.J. Duhe	Miami Dolphins	Defensive end
1978	Al Baker	Detroit Lions	Defensive end
1979	Jim Haslett	Buffalo Bills	Linebacker
1980	Buddy Curry & Al Richardson	Atlanta Falcons	Linebackers
1981	Lawrence Taylor	New York Giants	Linebacker
1982	Chip Banks	Cleveland Browns	Linebacker
1983	Vernon Leroy Maxwell	Baltimore Colts	Linebacker
1984	Bill Maas	Kansas City Chiefs	Defensive tackle
1985	Duane Bickett	Indianapolis Colts	Linebacker
1986	Leslie O'Neal	San Diego Chargers	Defensive end
1987	Shane Conlan	Buffalo Bills	Linebacker
1988	Erik McMillan	New York Jets	Safety
1989	Derrick Thomas	Kansas City Chiefs	Linebacker
1990	Mark Carrier	Chicago Bears	Safety
1991	Mike Croel	Denver Broncos	Linebacker
1992	Dale Carter	Kansas City Chiefs	Cornerback
1993	Dana Stubblefield	San Francisco 49ers	Defensive tackle
1994	Tim Bowens	Miami Dolphins	Defensive tackle
1995	Hugh Douglas	New York Jets	Defensive end
1996	Simeon Rice	Arizona Cardinals	Defensive end
1997	Peter Boulware	Baltimore Ravens	Linebacker
1998	Charles Woodson	Oakland Raiders	Cornerback
1999	Jevon Kearse	Tennessee Titans	Defensive end
2000	Brian Urlacher	Chicago Bears	Linebacker
2001	Kendrell Bell	Pittsburgh Steelers	Linebacker
2002	Julius Peppers	Carolina Panthers	Defensive end
2003	Terrell Suggs	Baltimore Ravens	Linebacker
2004	Jonathan Vilma	New York Jets	Linebacker
2005	Shawne Merriman	San Diego Chargers	Linebacker
2006	DeMeco Ryans	Houston Texans	Linebacker

Trivia

• The Detroit Lions and the Pittsburgh Steelers have both won a total of 6 Rookie of the Year awards. Detroit has won 4 Offensive ROTYs and 2 Defensive ROTYs, Pittsburgh 3 Offensive and 3 Defensive.
• Running backs have won an astounding 30 out of 39 Offensive ROTY awards, or 77%.
• Linebackers have won almost half of the Defensive ROTY awards (18 out of 39)
• Ben Roethlisberger, 2004 Offensive ROTY, was only the second quarterback to win the award, and the first since Dennis Shaw in 1970, a 34 year span. Two years later, Vince Young, another quarterback, would win the 2006 ROTY award.
• The Eagles, Jaguars, and Seahawks are the only franchises to never have a player win either award.
• 1967 marked the only year that one team won both awards, as the Lions took home the Offensive (Mel Farr) and Defensive (Lem Barney) trophies.
• Buddy Curry & Al Richardson are the only co-winners; both Atlanta Falcons linebackers won the 1980 Defensive ROTY award.

External links

• NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (from 1967)
• NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (from 1967)
• NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year (1955-1996)
• AFL-AFC Rookie of the Year (1960-1996)