Vikings’ receiver Percy Harvin was voted Offensive Rookie of the Year according to FOXSports.com.
The Minnesota Vikings wide receiver/kick returner ran away with the balloting the same way he outran defenses and special teams this season. Harvin received 41 votes Wednesday from the nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league. Baltimore tackle Michael Oher was second with six votes.
The 22nd overall draft pick out of Florida, Harvin had 60 receptions for 790 yards and six touchdowns; rushed 15 times for 135 yards; and returned 42 kickoffs for 1,156 yards (27.5 per) and two touchdowns, one covering 101 yards.
He tied with the Colts’ Austin Collie for most catches by a rookie and set Minnesota’s single-season franchise record for all-purpose yardage with 2,081.
If you remember correctly, this is the same Percy Harvin that had plenty of question marks surrounding him last April. But Brad Childress and the Vikings took a chance on him in the first round when they arguably had greater needs and it obviously worked out well.
I thought Bernard Berrian paid a great compliment to Harvin when I interviewed him back in October:
TSR: Can Percy Harvin be the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2009?
Berrian: I can definitely see that. The way things are going right now, he’s off to a great start and I only see him getting better. So yeah, that’s definitely a possibility for him.
TSR: Have you taken him under wing? Has he learned a lot so far?
Berrian: I think he has learned a lot just being out there and I think another thing that has helped him is having Brett out there. We’re always having conversations about what he should do and where he should be. He knows a lot of stuff on his own, which is kind of surprising when you sit down and look at things. He knows a lot himself.
Harvin has the skill set and the football I.Q. to take him very far. It’ll be fun watching him in the playoffs.
