Most Valuable Player of the Year Award

The Most Valuable Player of the Year Award is presented by the Newspaper Enterprise Association to the top player in the National Football League (NFL). From 1955 through 1996 the winner was selected by polling all active NFL players. Beginning in 1997 the winner is determined by a vote of National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) representatives.

NOTES: Bold entries denote players who went on to become members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame; Year fields link to the NFL season in review page, winner's names link to the player's page and team name links to the official roster for the year in which the player won the Most Valuable Player of the Year Award.

"Earl Campbell's professional career was marked by his ability to sustain a hit. He was known for his strength and the fearlessness of his play. He rose out of the ashes of poverty to become a force on the football field. He won the Heisman Trophy and restored the hopes of Houston football fans when he joined the Oilers in 1978. A small town hero in Tyler, Texas, Campbell had a very successful NFL career during which he amassed 9,407 rushing yards. Although he never played on a championship team or went to the Super Bowl, Campbell remains one of the best to ever play the game." - Earl Campbell Biography (Link)

Most Valuable Player of the Year Award Newspaper Enterprise Association Most Valuable Player of the Year Award on Football Almanac
Year	Winner^(Quantity)	Position	Team / Roster^{(Franchise Quantity)}
1955	Harlon Hill⁽¹⁾	Tight End	1955 Chicago Bears⁽¹⁾
1956	Frank Gifford⁽¹⁾	Running Back	1956 New York Giants⁽¹⁾
1957	Johnny Unitas⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1957 Baltimore Colts⁽¹⁾
1958	Jim Brown⁽¹⁾	Running Back	1958 Cleveland Browns⁽¹⁾
1959	Charley Conerly⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1959 New York Giants⁽²⁾
1960	Norm Van Brocklin⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1960 Philadelphia Eagles⁽¹⁾
1961	Y.A. Tittle⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1961 New York Giants⁽³⁾
1962	Jimmy Taylor⁽¹⁾	Running Back	1962 Green Bay Packers⁽¹⁾
1963	Jim Brown⁽²⁾	Running Back	1963 Cleveland Browns⁽²⁾
1963	Y.A. Tittle⁽²⁾	Quarterback	1963 New York Giants⁽⁴⁾
1964	Lenny Moore⁽¹⁾	Halfback	1964 Baltimore Colts⁽²⁾
1965	Jim Brown⁽³⁾	Running Back	1965 Cleveland Browns⁽³⁾
1966	Bart Starr⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1966 Green Bay Packers⁽²⁾
1967	Johnny Unitas⁽²⁾	Quarterback	1967 Baltimore Colts⁽³⁾
1968	Earl Morrall⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1968 Baltimore Colts⁽⁴⁾
1969	Roman Gabriel⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1969 Los Angeles Rams⁽¹⁾
1970	John Brodie⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1970 San Francisco 49ers⁽¹⁾
1971	Bob Griese⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1971 Miami Dolphins⁽¹⁾
1972	Larry Brown⁽¹⁾	Running Back	1972 Washington Redskins⁽¹⁾
1973	O.J. Simpson⁽¹⁾	Running Back	1973 Buffalo Bills⁽¹⁾
1974	Ken Stabler⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1974 Oakland Raiders⁽¹⁾
1975	Fran Tarkenton⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1975 Minnesota Vikings⁽¹⁾
1976	Bert Jones⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1976 Baltimore Colts⁽⁵⁾
1977	Walter Payton⁽¹⁾	Running Back	1977 Chicago Bears⁽²⁾
1978	Earl Campbell⁽¹⁾	Fullback	1978 Houston Oilers⁽¹⁾
1979	Earl Campbell⁽²⁾	Fullback	1979 Houston Oilers⁽²⁾
1980	Earl Campbell⁽³⁾	Fullback	1980 Houston Oilers⁽³⁾
1981	Ken Anderson⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1981 Cincinnati Bengals⁽¹⁾
1982	Dan Fouts⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1982 San Diego Chargers⁽¹⁾
1983	Joe Theismann⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1983 Washington Redskins⁽²⁾
1984	Dan Marino⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1984 Miami Dolphins⁽²⁾
1985	Walter Payton⁽²⁾	Running Back	1985 Chicago Bears⁽³⁾
1986	Phil Simms⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1986 New York Giants⁽⁵⁾
1987	Jerry Rice⁽¹⁾	Wide Receiver	1987 San Francisco 49ers⁽²⁾
1988	Roger Craig⁽¹⁾	Running Back	1988 San Francisco 49ers⁽³⁾
1989	Joe Montana⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1989 San Francisco 49ers⁽⁴⁾
1990	Warren Moon⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1990 Houston Oilers⁽⁴⁾
1991	Thurman Thomas⁽¹⁾	Running Back	1991 Buffalo Bills⁽²⁾
1992	Emmitt Smith⁽¹⁾	Running Back	1992 Dallas Cowboys⁽¹⁾
1993	Emmitt Smith⁽²⁾	Running Back	1993 Dallas Cowboys⁽²⁾
1994	Steve Young⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1994 San Francisco 49ers⁽⁵⁾
1995	Brett Favre⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1995 Green Bay Packers⁽³⁾
1996	Brett Favre⁽²⁾	Quarterback	1996 Green Bay Packers⁽⁴⁾
1997	Barry Sanders⁽¹⁾	Running Back	1997 Detroit Lions⁽¹⁾
1998	Randall Cunningham⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1998 Minnesota Vikings⁽²⁾
1999	Kurt Warner⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1999 St. Louis Rams⁽²⁾
2000	Marshall Faulk⁽¹⁾	Running Back	2000 St. Louis Rams⁽³⁾
2001	Kurt Warner⁽²⁾	Quarterback	2001 St. Louis Rams⁽⁴⁾
2002	Rich Gannon⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	2002 Oakland Raiders⁽²⁾
2003	Peyton Manning⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	2003 Indianapolis Colts⁽⁶⁾
2003	Steve McNair⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	2003 Tennessee Titans⁽⁵⁾
2004	Peyton Manning⁽²⁾	Quarterback	2004 Indianapolis Colts⁽⁷⁾
2005	Shaun Alexander⁽¹⁾	Running Back	2005 Seattle Seahawks⁽¹⁾
2006	LaDainian Tomlinson⁽¹⁾	Running Back	2006 San Diego Chargers⁽²⁾
2007	Tom Brady⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	2007 New England Patriots⁽¹⁾
2008	Kurt Warner⁽³⁾	Quarterback	2008 Arizona Cardinals⁽¹⁾
2009	Peyton Manning⁽³⁾	Quarterback	2009 Indianapolis Colts⁽⁸⁾
2010	Not Yet Announced^(01-2011)	--	--
Year	Winner^(Quantity)	Position	Team / Roster^{(Franchise Quantity)}
Most Valuable Player of the Year Award on Football Almanac

Did you know that there have been one end, one wide receiver, twenty-one running backs, and thirty three quarterbacks who have won the Most Valuable Player of the Year Award?

A breakdown of other official NFL most valuable player awards: The Joe F. Carr Trophy (1938-1946), the United Press International NFL MVP (1948-1969), the Associated Press NFL MVP (1957-Today) and the Pro Football Writers of America NFL MVP (1975-Today).

Which player on the chart above deserved the Most Valuable Player of the Year Award the least? Which player "should" have won during that particular season? Share your opinion on Pigskin Fever.

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