Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey Polls 100 Top Sports Writers to Name the Most Underrated Players in the NFL
Are you ready for some football? As the days get shorter and the air begins to cool, every football fan is anticipating the kick-off of another exciting gridiron season. To truly get in the spirit, Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey(R) presents its second annual “Most Underrated Players in NFL” poll, demonstrating the real players to watch this year.
“We want to make sure that every man on the field ‘gets his Dew,’” says Tullamore Dew Brand Manager Paul Caffrey, “so we’ve polled 100 sportswriters and broadcasters across the country to get their take on who are the most underrated players in the NFL. These are the guys who play hard every game but don’t get the glory of the gridiron stars. It’s time for them to get a nod from the fans.”
Here are the results from the second annual Tullamore Dew Survey:
1. Eli Manning, Quarterback for the New York Giants: Heading into the 2007 season all eyes were on one Manning, and his name wasn’t Eli. The younger brother of superstar Peyton Manning is constantly overshadowed by his older brother, until Eli did the unthinkable and led the Giants to a Super Bowl victory against the undefeated New England Patriots last year during Super Bowl XLII. Manning became only the second quarterback in NFL history to throw two go-ahead fourth quarter touchdowns in a Super Bowl (Joe Montana being the first).
2. Drew Brees, Quarterback for the New Orleans Saints: This eight-year veteran was the recipient of the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2004. Brees has been selected to the Pro-Bowl twice in his career (2004 with the Chargers & 2006 with the Saints). Having recently signed a 6-Year, $60 million deal with the Saints, expectations are high for this mobile player.
3. Aaron Rodgers, Quarterback for the Green Bay Packers: “A-Rod”, as nicknamed by teammate Donald Driver, has put in his time in the second string behind living legend Brett Favre for the past three seasons. Now that Brett’s been traded to the Jets, Rodgers is stepping up as the starting QB for the Packers in 2008.
4. Fred Taylor, Running Back for the Jacksonville Jaguars: This running back for the Jaguars has spent his entire 10-year career with the organization. Taylor has appeared in two consecutive Pro-Bowl appearances, currently averages 4.7 yards per carry average (3rd best in NFL history), and is the only 1,000-yard rusher in Jaguars history.
5. Matt Hasselbeck, Quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks: Holding the highest passer rating in the NFC, Hasselbeck set career highs in yards, attempts, and touchdown passes in the 2007 season, and was elected to his third Pro Bowl. In 2007, Hasselbeck led Seattle to its fourth consecutive division title and fifth consecutive playoff appearance with 3,966 passing yards, 28 touchdowns (both career highs), 62.6% completion percentage, and a 91.4 quarterback rating.
6. Ryan Grant, Running Back for the Green Bay Packers: Despite having missed the entire 2006 season from accidentally slicing his arm with a cocktail glass, Grant holds the Packers’ franchise record for most rushing yards (201) in a playoff game. He is also the seventh player in NFL history to rush for 200 yards or more in a post-season game.
7. Frank Gore, Running Back for the San Francisco 49ers: In 2006, Gore set the 49ers franchise record having carried the ball 312 times for an astounding 1,695 yards. Gore also set the 49ers’ single-game rushing record by totaling 212 yards on 24 carries, besting the 201 yards by Charlie Garner on September 24, 2000 against the Cowboys
8. Jeff Garcia, Quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: After starting in the Canadian Football League, Garcia had moderately disappointing seasons in Cleveland and Detroit. After picking up steam with Philadelphia, he has quickly acquired the third highest Quarterback rating in the league and is now signed on to start for Tampa Bay in 2008.
9. Kevin Faulk, Running Back for the New England Patriots: Known for his outstanding special teams capabilities, Faulk has been a leading contributor to the Patriots’ successes since he started in 1999. At the end of the 2006 season, he set a new record for the most receptions (276) for a running back in Patriots’ franchise history.
10. Wes Welker, Wide Receiver for the New England Patriots: This special teams wizard is the Dolphins’ all-time kick off return leader; both in total returns and yardage, and their all-time leader in total punt returns (he is second in yardage). Currently with the Patriots, he is the franchise’s all-time leader for receptions in a single season. Additionally, he is one of only two players in NFL history to ever have converted a field goal, converted an extra point, recorded a tackle, and fielded a punt and kick off return all in the same game.
So this season, while you’re watching the game with your friends and toasting your team with a glass of Tullamore Dew, keep an eye out for these superstars whose time is sure to come — and remember to always give every man his Dew!
Source: Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey
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