The Jim Thorpe Memorial Trophy was an American football award presented by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) to the most valuable player (MVP) of the National Football League (NFL) from 1955 to 2008. It was the only NFL MVP award whose winner was chosen by a poll of NFL players. By 1975, the Jim Thorpe Trophy was described by the TimesDaily as "one of the pros' most coveted honors." In 1983, the Del Rio News Herald called it the "highest professional football award, period." Earl Campbell was the first player to win the award in consecutive seasons, capturing three straight from 1978 to 1980. Quarterbacks Charlie Conerly (1959) and Roman Gabriel (1969) won the trophy despite not being voted to the NEA's All-Pro first team in their respective seasons—Johnny Unitas was named to the first team over Conerly, while Sonny Jurgensen got the nod over Gabriel.
The award was founded by Murray Olderman, a sportswriter and cartoonist for the NEA. It was named in honor of Jim Thorpe, a professional football pioneer who was a player and the first president of what became the NFL. At the award's inception, Olderman sent ballots to every player in the league. Coaches joined the players in the voting process in 1975. Starting in 1987, the award became a joint project between the NEA, Jim Thorpe Association, and National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). Olderman also left the NEA that year and ended his association with the award. The NFLPA took over the balloting and added Pro Football Hall of Fame members to the voting panel in place of coaches.
The first recipient of the Jim Thorpe Trophy was Harlon Hill of the Chicago Bears, who was presented the trophy by NEA sports editor Harry Grayson in a televised halftime ceremony from the 1956 Pro Bowl in Los Angeles. In addition to Pro Bowl halftimes, subsequent years also saw the presentation televised on the final regular season weekend in either a pregame or halftime event. It was even on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1958. The presentation moved to the pregame show for the NFL championship game starting in 1961. In 1967, the winner was presented the trophy in a party at CBS Television City in Los Angeles for NEA's All-Pro selections, which was filmed and shown nationally during halftime of the Pro Bowl. In subsequent years, CBS aired a half-hour special before the Pro Bowl featuring the Jim Thorpe Trophy winner along with the All-Pros. After years of holding an awards banquet in New York, the ceremony was discontinued around 1980. Olderman and the NEA sought a sponsor. The Jim Thorpe Association of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, took over the presentation of the trophy in 1987, presenting it at the existing awards banquet for their Jim Thorpe Award, which honors the top defensive back in college football. The NFL trophy was redesigned that year to feature a bronze statuette of Jim Thorpe.
Awardees +Season Player Team PositionRef 1955 Harlon Hill Chicago Bears End 1956 Frank Gifford New York Giants Running back 1957 Johnny Unitas Baltimore Colts Quarterback 1958 Jim Brown Cleveland Browns Fullback 1959 Charlie Conerly New York Giants Quarterback 1960 Norm Van Brocklin Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback 1961 Y. A. Tittle New York Giants Quarterback 1962 Jim Taylor Green Bay Packers Running back 1963 Y. A. Tittle (2) New York Giants Quarterback Jim Brown (2) Cleveland Browns Running back 1964 Lenny Moore Baltimore Colts Halfback 1965 Jim Brown (3) Cleveland Browns Running back 1966 Bart Starr Green Bay Packers Quarterback 1967 Johnny Unitas (2) Baltimore Colts Quarterback 1968 Earl Morrall Baltimore Colts Quarterback 1969 Roman Gabriel Los Angeles Rams Quarterback 1970 John Brodie San Francisco 49ers Quarterback 1971 Bob Griese Miami Dolphins Quarterback 1972 Larry Brown Washington Redskins Running back 1973 O. J. Simpson Buffalo Bills Running back 1974 Ken Stabler Oakland Raiders Quarterback 1975 Fran Tarkenton Minnesota Vikings Quarterback 1976 Bert Jones Baltimore Colts Quarterback 1977 Walter Payton Chicago Bears Running back 1978 Earl Campbell Houston Oilers Running back 1979 Earl Campbell (2) Houston Oilers Running back 1980 Earl Campbell (3) Houston Oilers Running back 1981 Ken Anderson Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback 1982 Dan Fouts San Diego Chargers Quarterback 1983 Joe Theismann Washington Redskins Quarterback 1984 Dan Marino Miami Dolphins Quarterback 1985 Walter Payton (2) Chicago Bears Running back 1986 Phil Simms New York Giants Quarterback 1987 Jerry Rice San Francisco 49ers Wide receiver 1988 Roger Craig San Francisco 49ers Running back 1989 Joe Montana San Francisco 49ers Quarterback 1990 Warren Moon Houston Oilers Quarterback 1991 Thurman Thomas Buffalo Bills Running back 1992 Emmitt Smith Dallas Cowboys Running back 1993 Emmitt Smith (2) Dallas Cowboys Running back 1994 Steve Young San Francisco 49ers Quarterback 1995 Brett Favre Green Bay Packers Quarterback 1996 Brett Favre (2) Green Bay Packers Quarterback 1997 Barry Sanders Detroit Lions Running back 1998 Randall Cunningham Minnesota Vikings Quarterback 1999 Kurt Warner St. Louis Rams Quarterback 2000 Marshall Faulk St. Louis Rams Running back 2001 Kurt Warner (2) St. Louis Rams Quarterback 2002 Rich Gannon Oakland Raiders Quarterback 2003 Peyton Manning Indianapolis Colts Quarterback 2004 Peyton Manning (2) Indianapolis Colts Quarterback 2005 Shaun Alexander Seattle Seahawks Running back 2006 LaDainian Tomlinson San Diego Chargers Running back 2007 Tom Brady New England Patriots Quarterback 2008 Kurt Warner (3) Arizona Cardinals Quarterback
Multiple-time winners + List of multiple-time winnersAwardsPlayerTeamYearsHall of Fame induction3Earl CampbellHouston Oilers1978, 1979, 19801991Jim BrownCleveland Browns1958, 1963, 19651971Kurt WarnerSt. Louis Rams1999, 2001, 200820172Brett FavreGreen Bay Packers1995, 19962016Emmitt SmithDallas Cowboys1992, 19932010Johnny UnitasBaltimore Colts1957, 19671979Peyton ManningIndianapolis Colts2003, 20042021Walter PaytonChicago Bears1977, 19851993Y. A. TittleNew York Giants1961, 19631971
See also List of National Football League awards
References
External links Newspaper Ent. Assoc. NFL Most Valuable Player Winners at Pro-Football-Reference.com