Coaches Andy Reid and Ron Rivera, architects of remarkable franchise turnarounds, will join eight-time 101 Award winner Peyton Manning, running back LeSean McCoy and linebackers Robert Mathis and Luke Kuechly as 2013 winners of the annual NFL 101 Awards – the nation’s premier football awards event dedicated exclusively to the National Football League.
The 2013 season award winners will be presented with trophies at the 44th Annual NFL 101 Awards gala in Kansas City March 1.
Selected as the AFC Offensive Player of the Year for a record eighth time in his Hall of Fame career, Manning set a single-season NFL passing record with 5,477 yards and also set the league single-season record with 55 touchdown passes for Denver. The Broncos finished the regular season with a 13-3 record, won the AFC West division and clinched the top seed in the AFC.
Philadelphia running back LeSean McCoy has been selected as the NFC Offensive Player of the Year. McCoy led the NFL in rushing with a franchise-record 1,607 yards. He also led the league and set a franchise record in total yards from scrimmage with 2,146. He scored nine rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns. The Eagles finished the regular season with a 10-6 record and won the NFC East division.
Indianapolis outside linebacker Robert Mathis is the AFC Defensive Player of the Year. Mathis recorded an NFL-best 19.5 sacks for 120.5 yards lost in 2013. He recorded 65 tackles and forced eight fumbles. Mathis led the Colts to an 11-5 record and the AFC South division title.
Carolina middle linebacker Luke Kuechly has been selected the NFC Defensive Player of the Year. Kuechly led the NFC with 156 tackles while anchoring the league’s second-ranked defense. He recorded double-digit tackles in six games, including a 24-tackle performance against New Orleans. The Panthers finished 12-4 and won the NFC South title.
After resurrecting a Kansas City team that had won just two games in 2012, Reid is the AFC Coach of the Year. Reid joined the Chiefs after a 14-year career with Philadelphia. He wasted little time in instituting his offensive and defensive styles and work ethic. The team began the year by winning its first nine games of the season, en route to an 11-5 record and an AFC wild-card spot in Reid’s first year with the team. The Chiefs tied San Francisco with the most Pro Bowl selections at eight. Reid won the 101’s NFC Coach of the Year award in 2002 while with the Eagles.
Rivera has been named the NFC Coach of the Year after leading Carolina to a spectacular season in just his third year. After starting the season 1-3, the Panthers rebounded to win 11 of their next 12 games and win the NFC South title. With back-to-back rookie-of-the-year selections in Kuechly and quarterback Cam Newton, Rivera has laid a solid foundation for the team.
A national media committee, comprised of 101 sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the NFL, selected the winners in each award category in a nationwide vote at the conclusion of the regular season.
In addition to these award winners, the Committee of 101 also selects the Lamar Hunt Award for Professional Football, which was created in 2007 to honor the life and legacy of the founder of the Kansas City Chiefs and given in recognition of visionary leadership that has helped the NFL become the preeminent pro sports league in America. This year’s Lamar Hunt Award for Professional Football award winner will be announced at a later date.
