Bengals rookie quarterback Andy Dalton and veteran safety Chris Crocker were honored on Monday by the Cincinnati Chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America, two days after they were eliminated from the playoffs by the Texans in Houston by a score of 31-10. Dalton was named the team's MVP and Crocker was given the annual Good Guy award.
According to The Cincinnati Enquirer's Joe Reedy, Dalton was the first rookie to be named the team's MVP in 10 years that they've been giving out the award, and he's the third quarterback (Carson Palmer and Jon Kitna were the other two) to win.
Dalton was the Bengals first rookie starting quarterback in an opener since Greg Cook in 1969 and has broken all of Cook’s records this year. Dalton is also the first quarterback since the merger to pass for 20 touchdowns and lead his team to at least eight wins.
The "Good Guy" award, which was given to Crocker, is for "excellent relations with the media." Crocker has been known to be one of the most accessible players in the locker room and when Dan Hoard, the voice of the Bengals, was on our podcast with us, he mentioned Crocker as being one of his favorite guys in the locker room to talk to.
Chris has always been one of the go-to guys in the locker room and has set an example as a team leader to help us bring our readers the information that they so strongly desire. His candor and perspective during the week and following games has been much appreciated. As a nine-year veteran, ‘Crock’ has also been an invaluable resource on league matters during the season and when the lockout was taking place.
Congratulations to both Dalton and Crocker and congratulations to the entire Bengals team for an exciting 2011 season.