One of Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban former assistants just won the NFL Coach of the Year. Former Alabama player also got the nod as Ground Player of the Year from Fedex. In the second-closest race Thursday, Brian Daboll won AP Coach of the Year after leading the New York Giants to their first playoff appearance in six years. Daboll received 16 first-place vote to outpace 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who got 12 votes for first. Jaguars coach Doug Pederson finished third. “It's a tremendous honor," Daboll said. "You don't think about that when you take a job. You think about leading a team and building the culture.
In an earlier ceremony, former Alabama running back Josh Jacobs, of the Las Vegas Raiders, was named best ground player by Fedex during the annual NFL honors. Former Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts did not get NFL most valuable player. That honor went to Hurts’ opponent for this Sunday’s Super Bowl, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. The KC QB easily outdistanced Hurts by receiving 48 of 50 first-place votes from a nationwide panel of media members who regularly cover the league. Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs face Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl on Sunday. It will be the first Super Bowl with two African American quarterbacks. The Philadelphia Eagles also have DeVonta Smith and Landon Dickerson as starters for the big game.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was the Walter Payton Man of the Year. The prestigious award recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field.
