NFL Alumni Select Best Players of 2008 Season

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.-(Business Wire)-January 6, 2009 - Peyton Manning and James Harrison, the AP’s NFL Most Valuable Player and NFL Defensive Player of the Year, respectively, were among 10 current stars voted by former players as NFL Alumni 2008 Player of the Year honorees. The complete selections are:

OFFENSE

Quarterback—Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts)
Running Back—Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings)
Wide Receiver—Andre Johnson (Houston Texans)
Tight End—Jason Witten (Dallas Cowboys)
Offensive Lineman—Alan Faneca (New York Jets)

DEFENSE

Defensive Lineman—Albert Haynesworth (Tennessee Titans)
Pass Rusher—DeMarcus Ware (Dallas Cowboys)
Linebacker—James Harrison (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Defensive Back—Ed Reed (Baltimore Ravens)

SPECIAL TEAMS

Special Teams Player—Leon Washington (New York Jets)
Coach—Tony Sparano (Miami Dolphins)

These players were honored by a unique voting process in which former players cast ballots for their modern counterparts. Former pros vote only for the positions they once played themselves.

The 2008 awardees will be honored at the 27th annual Player of the Year Awards Dinner, to be held Friday evening, Jan. 30, 2009, at the Hyatt Regency Tampa in Tampa, Fla. The fundraising dinner will be held on the eve of Super Bowl XLIII. During the awards ceremony, each awardee will receive his NFL Alumni Player of the Year award from a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame who once played the same position. The Don Shula Coach of the Year Award will be presented by the legendary Coach Don Shula.

The NFL Alumni Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) charity composed of former NFL players and associate members who work voluntarily to raise funds for youth-oriented causes. The NFL Alumni advances its motto of Caring for Kids from its national headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and an additional 28 chapters across the country.

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