Green Bay Packers running back Ahman Green was chosen as the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Year, the NFL announced Wednesday at a press conference in Houston, site of Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Green led the NFC with 1,883 yards rushing and 15 rushing touchdowns on 355 carries for a 5.3 yards per carry average.
Green's 1,883 yards was a career-high that also broke the Packers' single-season rushing record by more than 400 yards. He also caught 50 passes for 367 yards and five touchdowns, to total an NFC-best 2,250 yards from scrimmage and career-high and single-season club record 20 touchdowns (combined).
Green, who helped the NFC North division-winning Packers to a 10-6 record, was nominated for the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week award six times and won the award in Weeks 4, 5, 9 and 17.
Also Wednesday, the NFL announced that Indianpolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning was chosen as the FedEx Express NFL Player of the Year.
Manning became the first player in NFL history to pass for 4,000 yards in five consecutive seasons with a league-high 4,267 yards passing and completed 379 of 566 attempts for an AFC-high 29 touchdowns and an NFL second-best 99.0 passer rating.
Manning was named to his fourth Pro Bowl and became the only player in NFL history to pass for 25 or more touchdowns in six consecutive seasons.
He led the Colts to a 12-4 record and the AFC South division title. He was nominated for the FedEx Express NFL Player of the Week award four times and won the award in Weeks 4 and 5.
"The FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Year Award recognizes outstanding players who possess values like reliability, precision and speed throughout the season," said Daniel J. Mullally, senior vice president of sales at FedEx.
"It is only fitting that FedEx sponsor this first-time award to honor the league's top quarterbacks and running backs, since these are the same values that FedEx delivers to customers every day in the air and on the ground."
Manning and Green were selected from among finalists in air and ground categories. The other FedEx Express NFL Player of the Year finalists were Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper and Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair. Kansas City Chiefs running back Priest Holmes and Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis were finalists for the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Year.
More than 230,000 fans voted at NFL.com from Monday, January 5 through Monday, January 19. After tabulating this season's fan voting the six finalists were chosen by a panel of NFL experts. Each week, nominees in each category were chosen and NFL fans voted for the winner on NFL.com.
FedEx, the premier global provider of transportation, e-commerce and supply-chain management services, is the Official Delivery Service Sponsor of the NFL, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl. Through the FedEx Air and Ground NFL Players of the Year voting, FedEx recognizes those NFL quarterbacks and running backs who week after week delivered the reliability, speed and precision that its customers have come to expect from the full range of FedEx air, ground, freight and international shipping services.
Below are the 2003 FedEx Air & Ground weekly winners:
Wk 1
Joey Harrington, Detroit (Express)
Clinton Portis, Denver (Ground)
Wk 2
Drew Bledsoe, Buffalo
Jamal Lewis, Baltimore
Wk 3
Kerry Collins, NY Giants
Ricky Williams, Miami
Wk 4
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
Ahman Green, Green Bay
Wk 5
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
Ahman Green, Green Bay
Wk 6
Steve McNair, Tennessee
William Green, Cleveland
Wk 7
Aaron Brooks, New Orleans
Travis Henry, Buffalo
Wk 8
Kerry Collins, NY Giants
Stephen Davis, Carolina
Wk 9
Tom Brady, New England
Ahman Green, Green Bay
Wk 10
Doug Flutie, San Diego
LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego
Wk 11
Kelly Holcomb, Cleveland
Deuce McAllister, New Orleans
Wk 12
Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle
Deuce McAllister, New Orleans
Wk 13
Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle
Clinton Portis, Denver
Wk 14
Jeff Garcia, San Francisco
Clinton Portis, Denver
Wk 15
Aaron Brooks, New Orleans
Rudi Johnson, Cincinnati
Wk 16
Brett Favre, Green Bay
Jamal Lewis, Baltimore
Wk 17
Tom Brady, New England
Ahman Green, Green Bay
