It’s not often the No. 1 and No. 2 pick in the NFL draft go on to win the NFL Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year Awards.
It had only been done twice in the 43-year history of the award before Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and Broncos linebacker Von Miller accomplished the feat last season.
On Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, Newton and Miller — Nos. 1 and 2 in the 2011 NFL Draft — will face off.
“Him being No. 1 and me being No. 2, I definitely want to win,” Miller said. “And I’m sure he would say the same thing, too. I’m Cam’s biggest fan, but Sunday, I definitely want to win.”
In 2011, Newton’s 14 rushing touchdowns were an NFL record for a quarterback, and he became the first player in league history to throw for 4,000 yards and rush for 500.
Miller, meanwhile, has compiled 20.5 sacks in his first 23 games in the league. On Sunday, he could become the only Bronco to surpass 21 sacks in his first two seasons in the NFL. In 2012, he is tied for first in the league in tackles for loss with 17 and is tied for second in sacks with nine.
With the No. 2 pick in the 2011 draft, Head Coach John Fox and the rest of the Broncos personnel staff spent time analyzing several players as they prepared. Fox remembers thinking that Newton was a “terrific talent,” but snatching Miller with their pick has worked out exactly how they had hoped.
“We had to react to what Carolina did in front of us, but we felt like we were going to get a good player at that No. 2 pick and we’re really pleased with who we took,” he said.
Panthers Head Coach Ron Rivera said the decision to take Newton over Miller was “very close.”
“If certain things had come up and allowed us to, then we would most certainly look at Von and say ‘Wow, this kid’s a special football player. He’s got some great ability,’” Rivera recalled. “He deserved to be picked where he was by Denver. The young man is a heck of a football player.”
Looking back, Miller wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I’m happy to be a Bronco,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to change it for anything else.”
But after the game, he hopes to leave with a little bit of Carolina blue.
“Hopefully we can switch jerseys or something,” Miller said.
Tags: Cam Newton, Rookie of the Year, Von Miller
B-R-O-N-C-O-S BRONCOS BRONCOS BRONCOS!!!
I’m SOOO glad we got Von!!! He is a STUD… Can’t believe I’m saying this, but it makes me miss Derrick Thomas, another very sad Chapter in the NFL the way he died! cut short an amazing career and it was just sad
Bronco Blog Fun Trivia…
Which falls faster?
a) a ton of bricks
or
b) a ton of feathers
Gray – please keep your version running
If the two so called “pretty much identical” contests are confusing to a long timer like FTR, just imagine what it looks like to Joe Blow who just comes off the street and joins the blog anytime during the season, which many, many do every year.
That shouldn’t be harder to grasp than your trivia.
Just a thought…
Gray, please keep your version of the contest going. I like this contest much better just as Baylinocrush has stated! Thanks!
I think the key to this game is on the sidelines this week.
Not on the field so much.
Of course that’s an outrageous comment since the players make it happen, but here it is:
MOTIVATION.
Motivation for Fox to beat up on the Carolina Panthers as an entire organization.
An organization that treated him like crap the last couple years he was there, giving him close to zero financial support as far as keeping talent or bringing new one in which made Fox look like crap ending his stay there with horrible records.
And then low and behold, a new coaching staff is hired and they spend hundreds of million of dollars on running backs alone!!!!
The insult!!!!
Somethings people don’t forget.
Like Shanny being short changed on his contract $$$ by Al Davis.
And look at how Shanny would stick it to the Raiders for years and years over and over after that.
Maybe many are too young to remember all that but either way there will be enough motivation in Fox’s heart to defeat the Panthers hands down Sunday, and in Carolina no less.
Or there should be.
Otherwise he is not human and he is definitely no Shanny, LOL.
GO FOX!!!
GRAY !!!!!
YOUR CONTEST IS THE ONLY CONTEST I WANT TO BE IN!!!!!
PLEASE CONTINUE IT!!!!
THANKS!!!!!
ILMSDB
I actually quit posting my score predictions on the blog comments just because I don’t want to be included in the Faux pas wanna be bay scoring contest Bronco_Turtle has come up with….
LOL, you probably noticed I’ve done the same, my Vegas betting days are over….
Just imagine if we would have drafted J.J. Watt
Im sure Watt would be the number 1 pick if they could of seen in the future. How about taking the Gronk with our pick
a) a ton of bricks
or
b) a ton of feathers
Where would you get a ton of feathers??