Winning the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is one of the highest individual honors a player can achieve in professional football.
The award is given annually to the player who is deemed to have had the most outstanding season in the league. While many established players have won the award over the years, it is rare for a rookie to receive this honour.
In fact, only two rookies in NFL history have ever won the MVP award. The first was Jim Brown, who won the award in 1957 as a rookie with the Cleveland Browns.
Brown rushed for 942 yards and nine touchdowns in his rookie season, and he also caught two touchdown passes. He was the driving force behind the Browns’ offence, and his dominant play earned him the MVP award.
The second rookie to win the MVP award was Earl Campbell, who won the award in 1978 as a member of the Houston Oilers. Campbell rushed for 1,450 yards and 13 touchdowns in his rookie season, and he was named to the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro team.
His incredible performance helped the Oilers make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, and he was rewarded with the MVP award.
Since Campbell’s win in 1978, no other rookie has won the NFL MVP award. While there have been many outstanding rookie performances over the years, none have been quite as dominant as those of Brown and Campbell.
It is a testament to their talent and impact on their respective teams that they were able to win the award in their rookie seasons.
To sum it all up, only two rookies in NFL history have ever won the MVP award. Jim Brown won the award in 1957, while Earl Campbell won the award in 1978.
While it is rare for a rookie to receive this honour, these two players serve as examples of just how dominant a rookie can be in their first season in the league.
