Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, who helped lead the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl title, has been selected as the 2014 Good Guy Award winner by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA).
Wilson, the tenth Good Guy Award winner, is the first member of the Seahawks to receive the honor from the PFWA and the sixth quarterback to be selected for the award in the last seven years.
The Good Guy Award is given to a NFL player for his qualities and professional style in helping pro football writers do their jobs. The award was first given by the PFWA in 2005.
Wilson was nominated several times for the quality of his answers and his willingness to address almost any topic with openness.
Wilson became only the fourth second-year quarterback and the third-youngest QB to capture a Super Bowl title when the Seahawks beat Denver 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII. During the regular season, he completed 257 of 407 passes (63.1 percent) for 3,357 yards, 26 touchdowns and only nine interceptions as the Seahawks finished 13-3 as the NFC’s No. 1 seed. He also rushed 96 times for 539 yards and one touchdown.
In the playoffs, Wilson completed 43 of 68 passes (63.2 percent) for 524 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, and he rushed 11 times for 42 yards in Seattle’s three postseason victories. In Super Bowl XLVIII, he completed 18 of 25 passes for 206 yards and two TDs in the victory over the Broncos.
Wilson led five fourth-quarter/overtime comebacks in 2013, including an eight-play, 62-yard touchdown drive in the NFC Championship Game against San Francisco. His 35-yard TD pass to Jermaine Kearse on a fourth-and-7 play with 13:44 left erased a 17-13 49ers lead on the way to a 23-17 victory that catapulted the Seahawks to their second NFC title.
“Russell’s work with the local children’s hospital, even during the season, is fairly well-known. I think he has a larger impact on the Seattle area, though, with the messages he sends out during every interview,” said Dave Boling, who covers the Seahawks for the Tacoma Times-Tribune. “The classic underdog, Wilson is a walking example of the value of determination and diligence. He often recounts the messages of his father … family, teamwork, sportsmanship. He has played himself into a position as the face of the Seahawks franchise, but he is also the voice and conscience of it, too.”
ABOUT THE PFWA: The Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) is the official voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve the public. The PFWA is made up of accredited writers who cover the NFL and the 32 teams on a daily basis. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter, who covers the Atlanta Falcons, is the organization’s president for 2013-15, while ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold, who covers the Denver Broncos, is the PFWA’s first vice-president and long-time national writer Dan Pompei is the organization’s second vice-president. Follow the PFWA at ProFootballWriters.org and on Twitter at @PFWAwriters.
GOOD GUY AWARD WINNERS (To a NFL player for his qualities and professional style in helping the pro football writers do their job): 2005 – Jerome Bettis (Pittsburgh Steelers); 2006 – Tiki Barber (New York Giants); 2007 – LaDainian Tomlinson (San Diego Chargers); 2008 – Brett Favre (Green Bay Packers); 2009 – Kurt Warner (Arizona Cardinals); 2010 – Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints); 2011 – Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers); 2012 – Tim Tebow (Denver Broncos); 2013 – Tony Gonzalez (Atlanta Falcons); 2014 – Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks).
