List of National Football League Rookie of the Year Award Winners

Becoming a professional football player in the NFL is a dream come true for every college aspirant. Out of over 70,000 players who play college football every year, less than a thousand make it to the NFL. Even out of those select few players who do make it to the big league, there is tremendous competition for getting the chance to feature in the game. As a result of which NFL rookies have a huge incentive to perform to the best of their abilities the moment they step foot on the field.

On the offense, rookies who play the positions of quarterback, running back, or wide receiver have the best chance at winning this award, while on the defense, the award is generally up for grabs at any position. Sadly this is the case since on offense, these three positions are considered the most important ones and also boast of great stats that are showcased. Whereas on the defense, a player from any position can be equally effective.

Rookies in the NFL get two separate awards, one goes to the Offensive Rookie of the Year and the other to the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Many organizations are awarding NFL rookies these awards but the NFL honors consider the awards presented by the Associated Press (AP) as the official ones.

List of AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year winners

List of AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year winners