Kenneth Walker III Wins Pete Rozelle Trophy as Super Bowl LX Most Valuable Player

Santa Clara, CA – Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III was voted the winner of the Pete Rozelle Trophy awarded to the Super Bowl LX Most Valuable Player.

Walker rushed for 135 yards, averaging 5.0 yards per carry, and added 26 receiving yards on two receptions, totaling 161 yards from scrimmage in helping the Seahawks to a 29-13 win over the New England Patriots.

Walker’s 30-yard run early in the second quarter was followed by a 29-yarder two plays later, setting up a field goal for a 6-0 Seattle advantage. Then in the third quarter, Walker’s 20-yard catch and run led to another field goal, pushing the Seahawks’ lead to 12-0.

The award is chosen by a panel comprised of 16 media members – broadcast partner analysts, media from the San Francisco Bay Area, New England, and Seattle, Pro Football Writers of America-appointed pool reporters that have attended team practices during Super Bowl week, and at-large members of the national media – and fans interactively through the National Football League’s official website, NFL.com.

USA Today Explains Fan Vote, Possible Winners, Forgets Kenneth Walker

Here’s USA Today’s explanation of the Super Bowl MVP Vote:

The Super Bowl MVP is decided by two separate votes. First is a fan vote, which takes place online near the end of the game and accounts for 20% of the total. Meanwhile, a group of 16 specialized NFL journalists makes up the remaining 80% of the vote.

And what’s the prize for winning Super Bowl MVP? Nothing much other than a trophy and fame. Unlike other NFL awards, no money is awarded to the Big Game’s MVP unless that player has a contract incentive.

Most of the time, we see quarterbacks win the award. Tom Brady holds the record with five. Behind him are Patrick Mahomes and Joe Montana with three each. Then there’s Terry Bradshaw, Eli Manning, and Bart Starr, each with two.

With that in mind, both Sam Darnold and Drake Maye are strong candidates to win the Super Bowl MVP award tonight. In fact, Maye nearly took home the regular-season MVP as well, falling just one vote short. Now, he has the chance to redeem himself.

Don’t sleep on a wide receiver possibly winning the Super Bowl MVP, though. Outside of quarterbacks, they have won the award the most. The last to do so is actually on the Seattle Seahawks in Cooper Kupp. But his teammate, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, feels like the most likely candidate if any receiver were to win it this year.

Note, that Walker was left out. That’s because it’s been a generation of time since the last running back won Super Bowl MVP: Terrell Davis in 1998. Running backs have been a forgotten part of NFL offenses for at least that long. But with the emphasis on stopping the pass, the fundamentals of defensing the run have gave way and not used. Perhaps Walker’s MVP performance in Super Bowl LX will change that.