The awards went as expected Saturday night at the NFL Honors show. Aaron Rodgerswon his second MVP, and J.J. Watt was the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in football history.
The bigger surprise came when the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2015 was announced. Annual bridesmaids Charles Haley, Jerome Bettis and Tim Brown were inducted while Orlando Pace and Marvin Harrison were left out in the cold.
The snubs are part of the business of the Hall of Fame. We'd rather focus on the jubilation of the eight men inducted during the awesome moment they were announced as Hall of Famers to a thunderous standing ovation.
The other goosebumps moment came from Thomas Davis's speech when he accepted the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year. He is an inspiring choice, and his words are well worth listening to.
Here's a complete list of the winners on Saturday:
» FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Year: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers; Le'Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
» AP Offensive Rookie of the Year: Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants
» AP Offensive Player of the Year presented by Surface: DeMarco Murray, RB, Dallas Cowboys
» Salute To Service Award Presented by USAA: Jared Allen, DE, Chicago Bears
» AP Coach of the Year presented by Lenovo: Bruce Arians, Arizona Cardinals
» Art Rooney Award presented by Bose: Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals
» AP Defensive Rookie of the Year: Aaron Donald, DT, St. Louis Rams
» AP Assistant Coach of the Year: Todd Bowles, Arizona Cardinals
» Don Shula HS Coach of the Year: Bruce Larson, Somerset (Wisconsin) High School
» "Greatness on the Road" Award presented by Courtyard: Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys
» AP Defensive Player of the Year: J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans
»Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2015: Junior Seau, LB; Tim Brown, WR; Jerome Bettis, RB; Charles Haley, DE/LB; Will Shields, G; Bill Polian, contributor; Ron Wolf, contributor; Mick Tingelhoff, C
» NFL.com Fantasy Player of the Year presented by SAP: Le'Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
» Deacon Jones Award: Justin Houston, OLB, Kansas City Chiefs
» AP Comeback Player of the Year: Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots
» Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year presented by Nationwide: Thomas Davis, LB, Carolina Panthers
» Bridgestone Performance Play of the Year: Odell Beckham Jr.'s amazing one-handed 43-yard touchdown catch
» AP Most Valuable Player: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews Super Bowl XLIX and gives our picks for the big game. Watch the entire show (and Wess eat his softball pants) on NFL NOW.