Dec 31, 2008 12:45 pm US/Eastern
Pennington Named NFL Comeback Player Of The Year
Becomes first player to win the award twice
NEW YORK (CBS4) ―
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Chad Pennington #10 of The Miami Dolphinscalls a play against the New York Jets during their game on December 28, 2008 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Al Bello/Getty Images
Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington has won the Associated Press 2008 NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Pennington was cut by the New York Jets just before the season started and was then signed by Miami to provide stability and leadership to the quarterback position, but he did quite a lot more than that.
Pennington helped engineer an offensive attack that propelled the Dolphins into the NFL playoffs just one year removed from being the worst team in professional football. His work in guiding the Dolphins from their 1-15 record in 2007 to 11-5 in 2008, tied the mark for the biggest turnaround by a team in NFL history.
Pennington received 19 votes, 13 more than quarterbacks Kerry Collins of Tennessee and Jake Delhomme of Carolina. Another quarterback, Arizona's Kurt Warner, received four votes, as did his teammate, wide receiver Anquan Boldin. So did Tampa Bay wideout Antonio Bryant.
"I think in my experience over the last nine years is that when you're winning, you feel appreciated; when you're losing, it gets a little tough," Pennington said. "That's just part of winning and losing, especially in this league because the stakes are high, a lot of eyes watching you, both individually and as a team."
Teammate Joey Porter was one of Pennington's biggest supporters for the award. "He was our savior. He changed this whole team. He's not the one that's going to brag about it. He just an old, humble country boy, so I'm going to brag for him," Porter said.
Pennington is the first player since the award started to be handed out 11 years ago to win the award twice. He also earned Comeback Player of the Year in 2006 after recovering from two rotator cuff surgeries.
Now, all eyes turn towards the NFL MVP award. Most experts believe Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning will win the award after coming back from a serious knee surgery just one month before training camp opened. But, a strong case can be made for Pennington, because without him, many experts believe the Dolphins would not be near the level of play they have reached this year.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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