Why Are Defensive Players Forgotten When it Comes to NFL MVP?

Every year the NFL names a league MVP and right or wrong it is always a talented and deserving offensive player.

In my book I think that is wrong to in a sense say that the most valuable player of the league is always on the offensive side of the ball and in a sense decreasing the importance of the defense.

Just the same as when someone starts a statement off with “I don’t mean to offend …” trust me someone is about to be offended.

It is a known fact that offense will put butts in the seats and fill a stadium but it is also a well known fact that defense wins championships.

Consider this article as my argument that this practice of the league MVP always being an offensive player needs to change and defensive players need to be recognized as just as important as offensive players.

The league MVP award started out as the Joe F. Carr trophy bearing the name of the league president from 1921 – 39, it was awarded from 1938 through 1946.

United Press International; better known as UPI, handed out a singular MVP award from 1948 – 1969.  In 1970 UPI decided to split the award and hand out one for the AFC and another for the NFC.

The first defensive player of the year award was handed out by UPI as well for both the NFC and AFC in 1975.

I have a strong belief that defense was just as important to a teams success then, as it is now and that there were defensive players of the year per team long before and after 1975.

There are a few other organizations that have a say or factor into who wins the award; they are the Associated Press, The Maxwell Club of Philadelphia, Pro Football Writers of America and the Newspaper Enterprise Association.

Also magazines such as Pro Football Weekly and the Sporting News have a League MVP award.

In a sense the argument needs to be heard by these groups more than anyone else.

However giving credit where credit is due, the Associated Press took the initiative to correct this problem and named Defensive Tackle Alan Page of the Minnesota Vikings their league MVP in 1971.

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