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| East Nashville DE J.J. Watt was named 2014 Player of the Year by NFFA owners. |
Associated Web Press
East Nashville defensive end J.J. Watt has been making news on-and-off the field the entire 2014 season, so it probably should come as no surprise the Black Dog star was voted 2014 Player of the Year by the league's owners. But when the announcement came late last night, it was surprising nonetheless.
Watt is the first defensive player in league history to win the award, receiving votes from five of the league's eight coaches. Downtown Corsairs QB Andrew Luck, East Nashville QB Aaron Rodgers and Village Green RB Marshawn Lynch rounded out the voting with one vote apiece.
Watt, who averaged more than 13 points per game to lead all defensive players, was part of a six-player trade between the Black Dogs and 12th Avenue Bakers early in the season. Longtime league observers couldn't believe the Bakers had given up Watt and called the deal "the worst trade in NFFA history." After adding the giant defender, the Black Dogs went on a tear, winning eight of their next nine games on their way to the Jorge division title. Watt was also the only unanimous selection to the 2014 All-NFFA team.
In another surprise, the owners voted late Bakers coach Rob Bironas as 2014 Coach of the Year. Bironas was killed in a car accident in week three and the team dedicated the season to their fallen coach as they made the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Bironas received four votes to edge Black Dogs coach Jim McMahon (three votes) for the award. In addition, Corsairs coach Ray Ray Lewis got one vote.
East Nashville GM Buddy Ryan was voted Executive of the Year, receiving five of eight votes. Ryan not only engineered the trade that brought Watt to the team, he pulled off a predraft trade with the West Nashville Beelzebubbas to get the third overall pick, which he used to draft QB Aaron Rodgers. Cambridge Animals GM Wilder the Animal, Fidalgo Island Sea Hogs owner Tirik Obobber and Corsairs owner Mojo D received one vote apiece to round out the voting.
The 2014 All-NFFA team was also announced and the top vote-getters were Watt with eight votes, West Nashville RB DeMarco Murray and Fidalgo Island WR Jordy Nelson with seven votes each, and West Nashville LB Luke Kuechluy with six. The Black Dogs placed five players on the team, followed by the Animals with three, and the Corsairs, Beelzebubbas, Bakers and Sea Hogs with two apiece. The Village Green and Atlanta Smack Daddies were not represented on this year's All-NFFA team, but had several players among those who received honorable mention.
Here is the complete list of postseason honors:
2014 Player of the Year: J.J. Watt, East Nashville Black Dogs
2014 Coach of the Year: Rob Bironas, 12th Avenue Bakers
2014 Executive of the Year: Buddy Ryan, East Nashville Black Dogs
2014 All-NFFA Team (vote totals in parenthesis)
QB Aaron Rodgers, East Nashville Black Dogs (4)
RB DeMarco Murray, West Nashville Beelzebubbas (7)
RB Le'Veon Bell, Downtown Corsairs (3)
WR Jordy Nelson, Fidalgo Island Sea Hogs (7)
WR Antonio Brown, East Nashville Black Dogs (5)
WR Demaryius Thomas, Downtown Corsairs (4)
TE Rob Gronkowski, Cambridge Animals (5)
PK Stephen Gostkowski, 12th Avenue Bakers (5)
DL J.J. Watt, East Nashville Black Dogs (8)
DL Rob Ninkovich, 12th Avenue Bakers (3)
LB Luke Kuechly, West Nashville Beelzebubbas (6)
LB D'Quell Jackson, East Nashville Black Dogs (3)
DB Harrison Smith, Fidalgo Island Sea Hogs (4)
DB Charles Woodson, East Nashville Black Dogs (3)
KR (tie) Devin Hester, Cambridge Animals (2); Julian Edelman, Cambridge Animals (2)
Honorable Mention: QB Andrew Luck, Downtown Corsairs (3); RB Marshawn Lynch, Village Green (2); RB Jamaal Charles, Cambridge Animals (2); WR Julio Jones, Village Green (2); WR Emmanuel Sanders, East Nashville Black Dogs (2); WR Devin Hester, Cambridge Animals (2); TE Julius Thomas, Atlanta Smack Daddies (2); DL Robert Quinn, Downtown Corsairs (2); LB LaVonte David, Atlanta Smack Daddies (2); LB Daryl Smith, 12th Avenue Bakers (2); DB Adam Jones, Downtown Corsairs (2); DB Rashad Johnson, 12th Avenue Bakers (2); DB Eric Weddle, Cambridge Animals (2).
The complete voting results can be viewed here.
