At age 23, the Baltimore Ravens quarterback was named the NFL MVP, getting the second-youngest individual to get the award.
Jackson is just the 2nd unanimous MVP ever. Tom Brady was the other, in 2010.
This along with other awards — including the announcement of Troy Polamalu, Edgerrin James, Isaac Bruce, Steve Atwater, and Steve Hutchinson being chosen to the Pro Football Hall of Fame — were announced Saturday during the sampling of NFL Honors, a two-hour prime-time awards particular held in the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami.
Jackson is in rare company, linking Patrick Mahomes (2018), Dan Marino (1984) and Walter Payton (1977) as the only MVP winners who were just 23.
Jim Brown, who won the MVP award in the age 21 and 22, had been younger than Jackson.
Jackson told reporters that winning the MVP award means a good deal, although he admits he was outwardly showing it.
“I’m still young,” Jackson stated. “I’ve got a lot of work to perform. I’m not hoping to live on what I did. When I win a Super Bowl, then you’re likely going to see more emotion (in my ).”
Jacksonin his second NFL season, won the Heisman Trophy as a quarterback at the University of Louisville. He hails away from Hard Rock Stadium at Miami Gardens — roughly 25 miles from Pompano Beach, Florida, the website of Super Bowl LIV.
Baltimore’s very first game of this 2019 NFL season was that there, against the Miami Dolphins. And after Jackson torched Miami in a 59-10 win — casting five touchdowns and no interceptions and had a great passer rating (158.3) — he needed to say for his doubters who did not believe he’d make it as an NFL quarterback.
“Not bad for a running back,” he quipped.
“It feels great when it is possible to make those folks today eat their words,” Jackson said Saturday.
He later went on to say,”Don’t worry about what they say. Can you. Stay focused because you would like to be great”
Waiting for ‘the knock’
A select number of NFL greats spent on the day before Super Bowl LIV sequestered inside their hotel rooms.
Additionally, they waited to find out whether they would get”the knock” from Pro Football Hall of Fame president David Baker.
On Saturday, this knock came as Atwater Polamalu, Bruce, both Hutchinson and James found out they were elected, for five guys.
Polamalu, a finalist within his first year of eligibility, was among the safeties of the era. He played his entire career — 2003-2014 winning and attaining three times to the Super Bowl.
Polamalu was the Associated Press baseball player of the year in 2010 and had been a first-team All-Pro selection four times.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers defense of this’70s laid the basis for the great defenses that I’ve been a part of,” Polamalu said.
He’s not remembered because of his drama; Polamalu is well famous for his long hair. He does advertisements, including a recent one with Mahomes for Head & Shoulders.
After having a finalist four occasions, james, in his sixth season of excellence, was chosen.
The NFL’s offensive rookie of the season in 1999, James won the league’s rushing title in his first two seasons, even when he was with the Indianapolis Colts. He reached Super Bowl XLIII using the Arizona Cardinals, was voted to the Pro Bowl four times and was a All-Pro three occasions.
On Instagram, James, the Colts’ all time leading rusher, wrote,”Launched With Gold Teeth, Ended Having a Gold Jacket.”
“My thing was always to be individual,” James said of waiting patiently for this day ahead. “The job is completed, and it’s only an issue of time”
Also during his sixth year of qualification and a four-time finalist has been Bruce, who had been part of this St. Louis Rams”Greatest Show on Turf,” winning Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000. Voted to four Pro Bowls, the wide receiver retired since the Rams’ all-time leader in catches, receiving yards, and also many yards from scrimmage.
“For me personally, my knock experience was I wanted Mr. Baker only to wait for a little whileI needed two rounds of knocks — only to let him feel what I have been feeling the past few decades,” Bruce said to laughter from reporters at a media conference.
A guard, hutchinson, played with both the Minnesota Vikings the Seattle Seahawks and the Tennessee Titans. He assisted in safeguarding environments of the Vikings like the Seahawks’ Shaun Alexander and Adrian Peterson. Hutchinson was a part of the Seahawks team that helped Seattle reach its first Super Bowl in 2005.
A finalist in the three years he has been eligible, hutchinson, was called five occasions and has been voted into seven consecutive Pro Bowls.
He described the sensation of getting exactly what he called the”heavy-handed knock” out of Baker.
“As soon as the knock occurs, it’s tough to explain,” Hutchinson said. “It is like a tee shirt vest is shot immediately off your shoulders. It’s pretty unique.”
Together with James, Hutchinson is a part of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s.
It was Atwater, a security in his 16th year of excellence, that waited the longest to its knock.
Atwater played from 1989-1998 and also the New York Jets in 1999 the Denver Broncos, winning Super Bowls with Denver. Section of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s, Atwater was a yearlong All-Pro and has been chosen to eight Pro Bowls. This is his time as a finalist.
“When I heard the knock of the door, I knew that it was time,” Atwater said.
An expanded group of 20 for the Class of 2020
The players had been elected on the eve of the Super Bowl as has been habit. A vote is needed of 80% from the committee to be elected. There were 15 finalists.
However, this season, in celebration of the 100th year of the NFL , the Hall of Fame process was different.
In prior decades, the Hall’s bylaws had been that each year, between eight and four new members have been picked. However, the Hall of Fame Board passed a resolution suspending the bylaws to make a class .
In addition to the five chosen on Saturday, there are. A separate panel met in the Hall of Fame in January and chosen 10 seniors (players that last played more than 25 years ago), three contributors (a single other than a participant or coach) and 2 coaches.
“We are special, guy,” explained Harold Carmichael, one of the seniors chosen. “This really is a unique group.”
Here are these 15 other associates that will be inducted to the Hall of Fame (* Imagine that person is deceased):
Coaches:
Bill Cowher — 1992-2006 Pittsburgh Steelers
Jimmy Johnson — 1996-99 Miami Dolphins, 1989-1993 Dallas Cowboys
Contributors:
*Steve Sabol, administrator/president — 1964-2012 NFL Films
Paul Tagliabue, commissioner — 1989-2006 National Football League
*George Young 1968-1974 Baltimore Colts 1979-1997 New York Giants
Seniors:
Harold Carmichael 1984 Dallas Cowboys, 1971-1983 Philadelphia Eagles
Jim Covert tackle — 1983-1990 Chicago Bears
*Bobby Dillon, safety — 1952-59 Green Bay Packers
Cliff Harris 1970-79 Dallas Cowboys
*Winston Hill 1977 Los Angeles Rams, 1963-1976 New York Jets
Decision Alex Karras attack — 1964-1970 Detroit Lions, 1958-1962
Donnie Shell 1974-1987 Pittsburgh Steelers
Decision Duke Slater 1922 Milwaukee Badgers, 1922-25 Rock Island Independents
Decision Mac Speedie, ending — 1946-1952 Cleveland Browns (AAFC/NFL)
*Ed Sprinkle — 1944-1955 Chicago Bears