OFFENSE: RB JAHVID BEST, DETROIT LIONS
· Best, a first-round selection out of California, started all three games and led NFL rookies with 307 scrimmage yards (183 receiving, 124 rushing) and a league-best five touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving).
· He scored the team's first five touchdowns to start the season, becoming the first player to accomplish the feat since DUTCH STERNAMAN of the Decatur Staleys in 1920.
· Best is the first rookie since BILLY SIMS in 1980 to score five touchdowns in his first two career games.
· In Week 2, he became the first rookie in NFL history with at least 75 rushing yards (78), 150 receiving yards (154) and three touchdowns in a single game.
· Best's 154 receiving yards in Week 2 are the most by a rookie running back in a game in the Super Bowl era.
· Best is the first Lion to earn NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month honors since 2004 when both wide receiver ROY WILLIAMS (September) and running back KEVIN JONES (December) were honored.
· Last year, Lions safety LOUIS DELMAS was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for September.
DEFENSE: S NATE ALLEN, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
- Allen, a second-round selection out of South Florida, started all three games at safety and recorded 12 tackles, two interceptions and a sack.
- He recorded an interception or a sack in all three games during the month.
- Allen had an interception in Week 1 against Green Bay and Week 2 at Detroit. He became the first Eagles rookie to post an interception in each of his first two games of a season since BRENARD WILSON in 1979.
- He notched his first career sack in Week 3 at Jacksonville.
- Allen is the first Eagle to earn NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month honors since 2005 when defensive end TRENT COLE (November) was honored.
- Allen is the third Eagle to be recognized as an NFL Rookie of the Month, joining Cole (Defense, November 2005) and defensive tackle COREY SIMON (Defense, November 2000).
2010 NFL ROOKIES OF THE MONTH
|
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Offense (College) |
Defense (College) |
|
September |
RB Jahvid Best, Detroit (California) |
S Nate Allen, Philadelphia (South Florida) |
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Other nominees for the September NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month Award were:
· St. Louis quarterback SAM BRADFORD (first round, Oklahoma), who started all three games and passed for 655 yards and four touchdowns. He is the third QB drafted No. 1 overall in the past 25 years to win a game in September as a rookie.
· Dallas wide receiver-punt returner DEZ BRYANT (first round, Oklahoma State), who led all rookie wide receivers with 14 catches (158 yards). He averaged 17.8 yards per punt return, including a 62-yard touchdown.
· New England tight end ROB GRONKOWSKI (second round, Arizona), who recorded five catches for 58 receiving yards (11.6 average) with two touchdowns. His two TD catches tied for the NFL lead among rookies.
· New England tight end AARON HERNANDEZ (fourth round, Florida), who started all three games and led NFL rookies with 211 receiving yards on 13 receptions (16.2 average).
· Kansas City tight end TONY MOEAKI (third round, Iowa), who started all three games and posted 12 catches for 123 receiving yards (10.3 average) with two touchdowns. His two TD catches tied for the NFL lead among rookies.
· Pittsburgh center MAURKICE POUNCEY (first round, Florida), who started all three games and helped the Steelers rank third in the NFL this season with 150.0 rush yards per game.
· Tampa Bay wide receiver MIKE WILLIAMS (fourth round, Syracuse), who started all three games and had 12 catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns. His two TD catches tied for the NFL lead among rookies.
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Other nominees for the September NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month Award were:
· Tennessee defensive end DERRICK MORGAN (first round, Georgia Tech), who recorded 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
· Detroit defensive tackle NDAMUKONG SUH (first round, Nebraska), who started all three games and recorded 12 tackles and two sacks. His two sacks tied for the lead among NFL rookies.
· Seattle safety EARL THOMAS (first round, Texas), who started all three games and recorded 15 tackles and two interceptions. He is the first Seahawks rookie with two interceptions in a game since 1984 (TERRY TAYLOR).
· Cleveland safety T.J. WARD (second round, Oregon), who started all three games and led the team with 24 tackles and forced one fumble. He became the first Browns rookie safety to start on Kickoff Weekend since BRIAN WASHINGTON in 1988.
