Most Valuable Player of the Year Award

The Most Valuable Player of the Year Award is presented by the Associated Press to the top player in the National Football League (NFL). Since its start, the winner has been selected by polling all active sportswriters of the Associated Press.

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.

"'If you're going to make a mistake,' (Alan) Page once said, 'make it aggressively.' That assertive approach made him one of the most effective defensive players of his era." - How Stuff Works.com (Link)

Most Valuable Player of the Year Award Associated Press Most Valuable Player of the Year Award on Football Almanac
Year	Winner^(Quantity)	Position	Team / Roster^{(Franchise Quantity)}
1957	Jim Brown⁽¹⁾	Running Back	1957 Cleveland Browns⁽¹⁾
1958	Jim Brown⁽²⁾	Running Back	1958 Cleveland Browns⁽²⁾
1959	Johnny Unitas⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1959 Baltimore Colts⁽¹⁾
1960	Norm Van Brocklin⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1960 Philadelphia Eagles⁽¹⁾
1961	Paul Hornung⁽¹⁾	Running Back	1961 Green Bay Packers⁽¹⁾
1962	Jimmy Taylor⁽¹⁾	Running Back	1962 Green Bay Packers⁽²⁾
1963	Y.A. Tittle⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1963 New York Giants⁽¹⁾
1964	Johnny Unitas⁽²⁾	Quarterback	1964 Baltimore Colts⁽²⁾
1965	Jim Brown⁽³⁾	Running Back	1965 Cleveland Browns⁽³⁾
1966	Bart Starr⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1966 Green Bay Packers⁽³⁾
1967	Johnny Unitas⁽³⁾	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	Alan Page⁽¹⁾	Defensive Tackle	1971 Minnesota Vikings⁽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⁽²⁾
1976	Bert Jones⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1976 Baltimore Colts⁽⁵⁾
1977	Walter Payton⁽¹⁾	Running Back	1977 Chicago Bears⁽¹⁾
1978	Terry Bradshaw⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1978 Pittsburgh Steelers⁽¹⁾
1979	Earl Campbell⁽¹⁾	Fullback	1979 Houston Oilers⁽¹⁾
1980	Brian Sipe⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1980 Cleveland Browns⁽⁴⁾
1981	Ken Anderson⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1981 Cincinnati Bengals⁽¹⁾
1982	Mark Moseley⁽¹⁾	Kicker	1982 Washington Redskins⁽²⁾
1983	Joe Theismann⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1983 Washington Redskins⁽³⁾
1984	Dan Marino⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1984 Miami Dolphins⁽¹⁾
1985	Marcus Allen⁽¹⁾	Running Back	1985 Los Angeles Raiders⁽²⁾
1986	Lawrence Taylor⁽¹⁾	Linebacker	1986 New York Giants⁽²⁾
1987	John Elway⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1987 Denver Broncos⁽¹⁾
1988	Boomer Esiason⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1988 Cincinnati Bengals⁽²⁾
1989	Joe Montana⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1989 San Francisco 49ers⁽²⁾
1990	Joe Montana⁽²⁾	Quarterback	1990 San Francisco 49ers⁽³⁾
1991	Thurman Thomas⁽¹⁾	Running Back	1991 Buffalo Bills⁽²⁾
1992	Steve Young⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1992 San Francisco 49ers⁽⁴⁾
1993	Emmitt Smith⁽¹⁾	Running Back	1993 Dallas Cowboys⁽¹⁾
1994	Steve Young⁽²⁾	Quarterback	1994 San Francisco 49ers⁽⁵⁾
1995	Brett Favre⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	1995 Green Bay Packers⁽⁴⁾
1996	Brett Favre⁽²⁾	Quarterback	1996 Green Bay Packers⁽⁵⁾
1997	Brett Favre⁽³⁾	Quarterback	1997 Green Bay Packers⁽⁶⁾
1997	Barry Sanders⁽¹⁾	Running Back	1997 Detroit Lions⁽¹⁾
1998	Terrell Davis⁽¹⁾	Running Back	1998 Denver Broncos⁽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⁽³⁾
2003	Peyton Manning⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	2003 Indianapolis Colts⁽⁶⁾
2003	Steve McNair⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	2003 Tennessee Titans⁽²⁾
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⁽¹⁾
2007	Tom Brady⁽¹⁾	Quarterback	2007 New England Patriots⁽¹⁾
2008	Peyton Manning⁽³⁾	Quarterback	2008 Indianapolis Colts⁽⁸⁾
2009	Peyton Manning⁽⁴⁾	Quarterback	2009 Indianapolis Colts⁽⁹⁾
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 defensive tackle, one linebacker, one kicker, seventeen running backs and thirty-four quarterbacks who have won the Associated Press 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 Newspaper Enterprise Association NFL MVP (1955-Today) and the Pro Football Writers of America NFL MVP (1975-Today).

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

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