Account
NFL Rookie of the Year 2014-15 Results: Offensive, Defensive Winners, Reaction
February 1, 2015
The NFL handed out its annual awards on Saturday night. To the surprise of no one, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. took home Offensive Rookie of the Year and St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald grabbed Defensive Rookie of the Year.
According to the Giants' official Twitter, Beckham is the first player in team history to win the award:
The NFL's official Twitter took time to congratulate Beckham and Donald for their victories:
As noted by Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com, Beckham was a runaway choice for the offensive honor:
Things were not as clear cut on the defensive side, as ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley shared the vote totals:
Here's footage of Donald winning the award:
Rams head coach Jeff Fisher had no doubt about Donald's potential when he predicted the rookie would win this award in early December, via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com:
“Yeah, I said that in the Spring when I saw him on the practice field," Fisher said. "I went on the record to say he has a chance to be Defensive Rookie of the Year. I haven’t changed since.”
As noted by Wagoner on Twitter after Donald won, this marks the second consecutive year the star defender has collected hardware for his efforts on the field:
Last year in college, Donald won the Outland, Bednarik and Lombardi awards, as well as ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
Per Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, Beckham's competition was Dallas Cowboys guard Zack Martin and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans:
ESPN's Kevin Seifert did bring up one rookie who should have been in the conversation for the honor, even if he didn't deserve to win:
NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock raved about Beckham's impact in 2014, via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com: "I haven't seen a young receiver like this explode this way without much practice time in my entire life."
Vacchiano also noted that Beckham joins Lawrence Taylor as the only Giants to win any Rookie of the Year award:
Beckham became the breakout star of the 2014 season with his dazzling, highlight-reel catches, but he was much more than that. The Giants star finished with 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns.
In a rookie class with so many great wide receivers, Beckham was the clear standout in the group and a worthy Rookie of the Year. Now, he just has to figure out a way to top himself next season. He might have to start making catches with one finger.