NFL Awards: The "Other" Awards of the 2011-12 NFL Season

The 2011-12 season of the National Football League is done and dusted.

The Super Bowl has been won, and the MVP has been decided. Awards like the Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year and Comeback of the Year have all been handed out and duly accepted.

And whilst I'm not trying to take anything away from Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, the New York Giants and any of their respective awards, I'm pretty sure the NFL missed some awards.

Some say they're not as respectable as others; I beg to differ.

So here's the "other" awards of the 2011-12 Season that the NFL missed. If you've got a burning opinion on other awards that may have also been forgotten, feel free to comment them.

Who knows, they may even make this list.

The NERF Ball Award

Given to the quarterback in the league that displayed the most potent arm throughout the year and made it appear that he was throwing around a NERF ball and not a proper football.

First Place: Drew Brees (NO)

This one is a little tough to take off Drew. Granted, the New Orleans Saints bombed out to the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs, but that's taking nothing away from the stellar year that Brees had.

Not only did he shatter Dan Marino's yards record, Brees completed at 71.2 percent for the season and chalked up 5,476 yards in the process.

Runner-up: Aaron Rodgers (GB)

For guys that made the football look like a NERF ball, Aaron Rodgers stands out also, as his 68.3 percent completion rate for 4,693 yards almost doesn't do justice to his throwing abilities.

Time after time defenses would throw their hands up in frustration as Rodgers would send the ball sailing past their outstretched arms.

The Sticky Fingers Award

Given to the receiver that recorded the highest number of yards for the fewest number of drops throughout the season.

First Place: Calvin Johnson (DET)

The man affectionately known as Megatron managed to chalk up 1,681 yards receiving for the year in under 100 catches, and only registered six drops.

Runner-up: Wes Welker (NE) and Victor Cruz (NYG)

Both Wes Welker and Victor Cruz managed to reel in more than 1,500 receiving yards throughout the year, and ranked second and third respectively in receiving yards.

However, once you throw in Welker's huge drop in the Super Bowl, as well as the fact that Cruz ranked 10th in the league for drops, it's a little hard to give it to either of these two.

The "Give Us a Break" Award

Given to the team that suffered the worst luck.

First place: San Diego Chargers

The Chargers will take home first place in the tough luck stakes, mainly because they were behind from the very first play of the season.

The team lost punter Nate Kaeding on the very first play of the year, and for a team that lost the 2010 season purely because of special teams, it's a tough break and a whole lot of bad luck.

Throw in to that mix—or fumble in to that mix—Philip Rivers and that Kansas City game and there's not a whole lot of luck for the Chargers in 2011-12.

Runner-up: Oakland Raiders

They were 4-2, and looked like being the divisional winners before quarterback Jason Campbell went down with injury. The Raiders then picked up Carson Palmer, went 4-6 and the Denver Broncos ended up winning the division.

Somehow.

The "Uh-Oh" Player of the Year Award

Given to the player that carried out the biggest moment(s) that had everybody on his team, supporters and general football fans saying "uh-oh".

First place: Marion Barber (CHI)

With just one brilliant performance, Marion Barber won the game not for his Chicago Bears, but for the Denver Broncos—all by himself.

It started with Barber failing to stay in play and running more time off the clock, which allowed Denver to kick a 59-yard field goal and send the game in to overtime.

Then, in overtime, with the Bears in great field position, all Barber had to do was go down with the ball and the Bears will win, but even that was a little hard as he fumbled the Broncos into Tebow-time.

Runner-up: Billy Cundiff (BAL)

It's not every day that you miss a kick that ruined your team's chances at making the Super Bowl.

Which is a good thing for Billy Cundiff, otherwise he really would be having nightmares.

Surely once is more than enough.

The Waste of Space Award

Given to the player that efficiently did nothing throughout the entire season and was therefore determined the largest waste of space on a football field.

First place: Albert Haynesworth (TB)

It couldn't really be anybody else, purely for the fact that after New England cut him, they went 10-0 and came a whisker away from winning the Super Bowl.

And the team that picked him up—the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

They were 4-4; they finished 4-12.

Runner-up: Chad Ochocinco (NE)

After all the hype around Chad turned out to be for nothing, he very nearly received the biggest "Waste of Space Award." However, Chad played in the Super Bowl and had the second longest catch in the biggest match of the year, making it difficult to give him the award.

The 'You Can't Be Serious' Award

Given to the player that performed the most outrageous play of the year that did not at all look possible and made everybody state the McEnroe-inspired "you can't be serious" phrase.

First place: Jerome Simpson (CIN)

Why? He did this. 

Runner-up: Rob Gronkowski (NE)

Why? He did this.

The Touchdown Celebration of the Year Award

Given to the player (or team) that performed the most memorable touchdown celebration throughout the season.

First place: Marion Barber (CHI)

In what was a very disappointing season for Barber, he can take solace in his second award of the year—this time for most memorable touchdown celebration.

In case you missed it, here it is in all of its glory.

Runner-up: Michael Boley (NYG)

At a critical point in the match, Michael Boley returns the lateral fumble for a touchdown and manages to hit two guys in the head with the one throw of the football.

The skill, the accuracy, and the humor make sure that it receives a worthy honorable mention.

The Crazy Stat of the Year Award

Given to the player or team that managed the most obscure, crazy or unique statistic throughout the season.

First place: Tennessee Titans

Not since the 1932 Chicago Bears had a team had three straight games with the same scoreline. Then came the 2011 Tennessee Titans.

In Week 11, they lost 23-17 to Atlanta. In Week 12, they won 23-17 over Tampa Bay. In Week 13, they beat Buffalo 23-17.

And in Week 14, they were heading to become the first team in NFL history to have four weeks with the same score line. The final result?

Tennessee 17, New Orleans 22.

So close, yet so far.

Runner-up: Percy Harvin (CHI) and the entire NFC West

Percy Harvin managed to chalk up a 104-yard return, yet no touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals, making it the longest non-scoring play in NFL history.

As for the NFC West, well, on the 13th of November, 2011, in Week 10, the entire division won their respective matches for the first time in 247 weeks of football.

Yup. The first time they'd all won since Week 1 of the 1987 season. Incredible.

The Trick Play of the Year Award

Given to the player or team that performs the greatest trick play of the season and forces us to watch the replay five times just to figure out what happens.

First place: Chicago Bears (vs. Green Bay Packers)

In this trick play, the Green Bay Packers are fooled by returner Devin Hester, who they assume is going to catch the football. Yet in reality, the ball is on the other side of the field being returned for a touchdown by the Chicago Bears.

It truly is the greatest returning touchdown of Hester's growing career simply because he didn't have to anything.

Runner-up: Green Bay Packers (vs. Chicago Bears)

The runner-up is the same play as mentioned above, except for the holding penalty committed by the Bears meant that not only was the touchdown nullified, the Packers received a fresh set of downs and eventually scored on the same drive.

How about that for a trick play?

The Greatest Trend of the Year Award

Given to the player or team that develops or is centered around the most fanatic trend in football that becomes so dominant we forget who or what the trend is actually about.

First place: Tim Tebow (DEN)

The trend known as "Tebowing" revolutionized the sporting world and Twitter as well, due to his pre-game, mid-game, and post-game celebrations that became known as Tebowing.

People worldwide would post in photos of them "Tebowing" and the trend simply continued to take off.

That was until they got beat up on by the New England Patriots.

Runner-up: Tom Brady (NE)

A very new craze, developed after the Patriots' Super Bowl loss to the Giants, is that of "Bradying."

Tom Brady's final position after the Hail Mary did not result in a touchdown led to the establishment of "Bradying."

Will it take off like Tebowing? Maybe not, but it sure is funny.