Safety Jairus Byrd of the Buffalo Bills, linebacker Brian Cushing of the Houston Texans, wide receiver Percy Harvin of the Minnesota Vikings, linebacker Clay Matthews of the Green Bay Packers and offensive tackle Michael Oher of the Baltimore Ravens are the finalists for Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year honors.
Fans can vote for one of these five players on NFL.com beginning Jan. 8 at 12 p.m. ET until 6 p.m. ET on Feb. 2.
The winner will be presented the 2009 Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year Award during a press conference in South Florida, the site of Super Bowl XLIV, on Thursday, Feb. 4.
The five finalists were selected for their outstanding performances throughout the 2009 NFL season. Each week, five nominees were chosen for the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week and NFL fans voted for the winner on NFL.com. Those results were used to help determine the finalists.
Starting 11 games and playing in 14, Byrd set a franchise record with nine interceptions, tying three veterans for tops in the NFL. Byrd recorded three consecutive multi-interception games and became only the second NFL player since 1970 to post an interception in five straight games. Byrd had 45 tackles and 11 passes defensed for the season and was selected to the 2010 AFC Pro Bowl team as a reserve free safety. Byrd, who attended the University of Oregon, was nominated for three Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week awards.
Houston's first-round draft choice, Cushing led all rookie defenders with 133 tackles, leading or tying the Texans in tackles nine times during the 2009 season. Starting all 16 games for Houston, he recorded four sacks and led all linebackers with four interceptions. Cushing totaled 10 passes defensed on the season and forced two fumbles. He is one of three rookies to make the Pro Bowl this season and the first AFC rookie outside linebacker to make the NFL's all-star game since 2005. Cushing, who attended USC, was nominated for five Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week awards.
Harvin set a Vikings record with 2,081 combined yards, second in the NFC. Harvin recorded two kickoff returns for a touchdown, including a 101-yarder, and ranked fourth in the NFL with a 27.5-yard kickoff return average (42 returns for 1,156 yards). In 15 games, Harvin had 60 receptions for 790 yards and six touchdowns and 135 rushing yards on 15 attempts. Harvin, who attended the University of Florida, was nominated for seven Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week awards, winning twice.
Matthews played in all 16 games with 13 starts at outside linebacker. He led the Packers with 10 sacks, the most by a Packers rookie in franchise history and the second most by a rookie in the NFL in 2009. Matthews also posted three two-sack games, as well as a sack in four straight games. Matthews led Green Bay with three fumble recoveries (third most in the NFL), which led all NFL rookies, including one for a touchdown. Matthews registered 51 tackles, a forced fumble and seven passes defensed and led the Packers with 35 QB hits. He was selected as a first alternate for the 2010 Pro Bowl. Matthews, who attended USC, was nominated for three Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week awards, winning twice.
Oher played every snap (1,014 offensive plays) this season, starting 11 games at right tackle and five at left tackle. His blocking helped the Ravens earn a franchise-record 22 rushing touchdowns (tied for most in the NFL) and Baltimore's ground attack produced the fifth-most rushing yards in the league (137.5). The Ravens tied the franchise single-season record for points (391 in 1996) and set a record for touchdowns scored (47). Baltimore was one of two teams to boast a 3,500-passer, a 1,300-yard rusher, and a 1,000-yard receiver and was one of three teams to register more than 20 passing and 20 rushing touchdowns on the year. Oher, who attended University of Mississippi, was nominated for two Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week awards.
