Peyton Manning and Adrian Peterson Named 2012 FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Year at &ldq

NEW ORLEANS, (February 2, 2013) – NFL fans have spoken, selecting Denver Broncos quarterback PEYTON MANNING and Minnesota Vikings running back ADRIAN PETERSON as the FEDEX AIR & GROUND® NFL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR. The 10^th annual awards, announced during the “2nd annual NFL Honors” show tonight in New Orleans, are a culmination of weekly awards presented by FedEx (NYSE: FDX) throughout the NFL season that gives football fans the ability to honor stand-out quarterback and running back performances each week while earning charitable donations for the winning players’ cities.

• ·         Denver’s Peyton Manning registered single-season franchise bests in passing yards (4,659), touchdown passes (37) and passer rating (105.8) in his first season with the Broncos. Manning’s 37 touchdown passes and 105.8 passer rating led the AFC in 2012.  In Week 17, Manning posted his 73rd career game with three or more touchdown passes, moving past BRETT FAVRE (72) for the most in NFL history.  He surpassed the 4,000 yard mark for the 12th time in his career to expand his NFL record for 4,000-yard seasons.  Manning, who was selected as the AFC’s starting quarterback for the 2013 Pro Bowl, led the Broncos to a 13-3 record and an AFC West crown.  He was nominated for FedEx Air Player of the Week five times, winning once.  Manning has been named FedEx Air Player of the Year twice before (2003, 2004). 

• Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson rushed his way into the history books finishing the year with 2,097 yards rushing, second-most in league history and just nine yards shy of breaking Hall of Famer ERIC DICKERSON’s NFL record (2,105).  Peterson, who was second in the NFL in carries (348), tied EARL CAMPBELL for the most games with at least 150 rushing yards in a single season (seven). He scored 12 touchdowns on the ground and led the NFL in yards per game (131.1).  Peterson accumulated 1,313 yards in eight games (Weeks 7 through 15), the most over any eight-game span in a single season in NFL history.  Selected as the NFC’s starting running back for the 2013 Pro Bowl, Peterson was nominated for FedEx Ground Player of the Week seven times, winning three times.  This is the second time Peterson has been named FedEx Ground Player of the Year (2008).

Manning and Peterson were selected from a panel of three finalists in each of their respective Air and Ground categories. The other FedEx Air NFL Players of the Year finalists were quarterbacks TOM BRADY of the New England Patriotsand AARON RODGERS of the Green Bay Packers, while the FedEx Ground NFL Players of the Year finalists included running backs MARSHAWN LYNCH of the Seattle Seahawks and ALFRED MORRIS of the Washington Redskins.

In honor of the winners’ outstanding play, FedEx is donating $50,000 to the Junior Achievement USA offices in Denver and Minneapolis-- $25,000 in each player’s market – designated to help educate the next generation of entrepreneurs on how to start and grow their own businesses. In addition, as part of the Air & Ground program, FedEx made weekly donations of $2,000 to Junior Achievement in each of the winning players’ names.

FEDEX AIR & GROUND NFL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Former winners of the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Year Award include:

• (2011) New Orleans Saints QB DREW BREES and Philadelphia Eagles RB LESEAN MC COY
• (2010) Green Bay Packers QB AARON RODGERS and Kansas City Chiefs RB JAMAAL CHARLES
• (2009) New Orleans Saints QB DREW BREES and Tennessee Titans RB CHRIS JOHNSON
• (2008) New Orleans Saints QB DREW BREES and Minnesota Vikings RB ADRIAN PETERSON
• (2007) Green Bay Packers QB BRETT FAVRE and Jacksonville Jaguars RB FRED TAYLOR 
• (2006) New Orleans Saints QB DREW BREES and San Diego Chargers RB LA DAINIAN TOMLINSON
• (2005) Cincinnati Bengals QB CARSON PALMER and Seattle Seahawks RB SHAUN ALEXANDER
• (2004) Indianapolis Colts QB PEYTON MANNING and New York Jets RB CURTIS MARTIN
• (2003) Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning and Green Bay Packers RB AHMAN GREEN

About FedEx

As the Official Delivery Service Sponsor of the NFL, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl, FedEx is proud to sponsor the 10^th annual Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week program. The awards highlight superior on-field performance among the league’s top-performing quarterbacks and running backs, while supporting small business efforts and providing business solutions that matter to fans and customers alike. Follow FedEx on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter via @FedEx.