NFL ANNOUNCES CANDIDATES FOR FEDEX AIR & GROUND® NFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Fans to track accomplishments, vote for winners on NFL.com;
FedEx to deliver funding on winners' behalf to benefit Junior Achievement
The NFL announced today that quarterbacks DREW BREES of the New Orleans Saints, TONY ROMO of the Dallas Cowboys and MATTHEW STAFFORD of the Detroit Lions are the finalists for the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week honors for games played on December 15-19, while running backs DONALD BROWN of the Indianapolis Colts, REGGIE BUSH of the Miami Dolphins and LE SEAN MC COYof the Philadelphia Eagles are the finalists for the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week.
Fans can vote for one player in each category on NFL.com/FedEx from 9 a.m. EST on Tuesday through 3 p.m. EST on Friday to determine the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week. The winners will be announced Friday on NFL Total Access on NFL Network and on NFL.com.
FedEx will support education efforts at Junior Achievement by making weekly $2,000 donations in the winning players' names. The funding, allocated to local Junior Achievement area offices in that team's city or state, is used to educate the next generation of entrepreneurs on how to start and grow their own small businesses.
This season fans will be voting for more than their favorite player. FedEx introduces a new program called the FedEx Small Business of the Week. As fans visit NFL.com/FedEx to vote for their favorite Air & Ground players each week, they can also cast their vote for one of three small business nominees. FedEx will award $5,000 each week to the small business that receives the most online votes. The program then culminates in recognizing the FedEx Small Business of the Year with an all-inclusive trip to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.
A closer look at the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week finalists:
- New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed 80 percent of his passes for 412 yards and five touchdowns in the Saints' 42-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. His passing yards, touchdowns and passer rating were the highest of any quarterback on the weekend.
- Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo converted 23 of 30 pass attempts for 249 yards and three touchdowns in the Cowboys' 31-15 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 29 of 52 passes for 391 yards and four touchdowns in the Lions' 28-27 victory over the Oakland Raiders.
A closer look at the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week finalists:
- Indianapolis Colts' running back Donald Brown carried 16 times for 161 yards and a score in the Colts' 27-13 win over the Tennessee Titans. His 10.1 yards per carry average was the highest of any back on the weekend.
- Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush ran for 203 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries in the Dolphins' 30-23 victory over the Buffalo Bills.
- Philadelphia Eagles running back Le Sean Mc Coy tallied three touchdowns and 102 yards on 18 carries in the Eagles' 45-19 victory over the New York Jets.
As the Official Delivery Service Sponsor of the NFL, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl, FedEx created the Air & Ground program to highlight superior on-field performance among the league's top-performing quarterbacks and running backs, while providing business solutions that matter off-the-field. Follow FedEx on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter @FedExDelivers.
