In somewhat of an upset victory, the Vikings’ rookie quarterback has won the (popularity contest) rookie of the year award. While I voted for him, I expected that the all-highlight-reel catches of Odell Beckham Jr. would be the big factor in voting. It’s true that the last five games of the season were very good outings for Bridgewater, putting up a lot of team records (many of them pretty trivial, honestly), I didn’t expect him to gain that much fan support outside the Vikings fanbase. The Star Tribune‘s Mark Craig reports:
Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater said a trip to this year’s Super Bowl has him excited about the possibilities of a future that he believes will include the Vikings’ first Super Bowl since Jan. 9, 1977, 15 years before Bridgewater was born.
“I can envision it,” Bridgewater said as he was making stops along Radio Row at the site of Sunday’s Super Bowl XLIX. “That’s the plan. This right here is what you play for. Not 7-9. No one is satisfied with a 7-9 season. The ultimate goal is to be on this stage and be here.”
Bridgewater was in town mainly because he was one of five finalists for the Pepsi Rookie of the Year Award. The fans who did the voting made him a winner, Pepsi announced Friday night, over Giants receiver Odell Beckham, Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans, Bengals running back Jeremy Hill and Bills receiver Sammy Watkins.
Bridgewater is also a candidate for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, which is handed out Saturday night here at the league’s awards show.
Bridgewater said being invited to the Super Bowl for a rookie of the year award was a “huge honor” when he considers how he fell from the projected No. 1 overall draft pick to No. 32 a year ago.
“When you look back to last year at this time there was all the scrutiny that I was under,” he said. “It also speaks volumes about the support I have from the fans because they make all of this happen.”
Teddy!
@Teddyb_h2o voted 2014 Pepsi Rookie of the Year: http://t.co/Qhuww3Y44z pic.twitter.com/t68QRxSVCq
— NFL (@nfl) January 31, 2015
Update: Teddy didn’t win the Associated Press’ Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, which went to Odell Beckham Jr. instead.
Congratulations to @OBJ_3! 2014 Offensive Rookie of the Year! #NFLHonors pic.twitter.com/2ogpzA6bwt
— NFL (@nfl) February 1, 2015
