The National Football League announced the five finalists for the 2015 PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR award.
Fans can vote for one of these five players on NFL.com/Rookies through Thursday, January 28 to determine the 2015 PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR.
The 2015 PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR award will be recognized in San Francisco during the Super Bowl festivities and online at NFL.com/Rookies.
The five finalists were selected for their outstanding performances throughout the 2015 NFL season. Each week, five nominees were chosen for the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week and NFL fans voted for the winner on NFL.com. Those results were used to help determine the finalists.
A closer look at the finalists:
- Oakland Raiders WR Amari Cooper
Cooper led all rookies with 72 receptions and 1,070 receiving yards, which were also both franchise rookie records. Cooper had five games with at least 100 receiving yards and he became the first rookie with three 100-yard receiving games in his team's first six games since Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka in 1961.
- St. Louis Rams RB Todd Gurley
Gurley ranked third and led all rookies this season with 1,106 rushing yards. Gurley, who was selected to the Pro Bowl, had five games with at least 125 rushing yards, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson (seven in 1983) for the most ever by a rookie. Gurley rushed for 10 touchdowns and was one of six players in the league to have 10 rushing touchdowns.
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- Seattle Seahawks WR-PR-KR Tyler Lockett
Lockett was selected to the Pro Bowl as a return specialist, but also contributed as a wide receiver. Lockett finished the season with 664 receiving yards, six touchdown catches and added a punt-return (Week 1) and kick-return touchdown (Week 3). Lockett joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers (1965) as the only rookies in NFL history to have at least five touchdown catches, a kickoff-return touchdown and a punt-return touchdown.
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- Kansas City CB Marcus Peters
Peters finished tied for the most interceptions in the NFL this season with eight and was selected to the Pro Bowl. His 280 interception-return yards and 35.0 INT-return average were the most in the league. He returned two interceptions for touchdowns, a 90-yarder in Week 15 and 55-yarder in Week 2. Peters finished the season with 60 total tackles, 26 pass defensed, eight interceptions and a forced fumble.
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- Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston
Winston set franchise records for most passing yards (4,042) and touchdown passes (22) by a rookie. Winston's 4,042 passing yards are the third-most by a rookie in NFL history and his 22 touchdown passes are tied for the fourth-most by a rookie in NFL history. In Week 11, Winston threw five touchdowns with no interceptions and joined Ray Buivid (December 5, 1937) as the only rookie quarterbacks in NFL history to accomplish the feat.
This is Pepsi's 14th year as the official soft drink sponsor of the NFL and the 13th year that Pepsi will present the NFL Rookie of the Week and NFL Rookie of the Year awards.
