NEW YORK — That blur speeding away from opposing defences and running off with The Associated Press 2009 NFL Offensive Player of the Year award is Chris Johnson.
Considered the fastest man in pro football, Johnson was uncatchable in setting a league mark for yards from scrimmage (2,509) and becoming the sixth player with a 2,000-yard rushing season.
He r to finish with at least 2,000 yards rushing and 500 receiving (503).
That earned the second-year pro 38 1/2 votes Wednesday from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL. Johnson easily beat New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, who received nine votes.
“I kind of realize what I did and I feel like I had a dream season,” said Johnson, who scored 16 touchdowns (14 rushing), second to Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson, and tied the NFL mark with six consecutive games rushing for at least 125 yards.
Johnson has bigger dreams, too: breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, and winning the league MVP award.
“I didn’t even get one vote at all (for MVP),” Johnson said. “Like the season I had, it seemed like, ‘What more do they want me to do?’ That just felt like rookie of the year; it’s a quarterback thing I guess.”
Atlanta QB Matt Ryan beat out Johnson for 2008 Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Of course, if Johnson keeps posting phenomenal numbers, all kinds of honours and records should keep coming.
“That gives me something to look forward to next year,” he said before focusing on Dickerson’s mark. “You go for 2,000 yards. I don’t know what you can really say that makes you want to work harder or anything like that, so it’s kind of a good thing and a bad thing me not getting the record.”
Johnson’s production was even more impressive considering the Titans began the season with six straight losses. He was a key reason for Tennessee’s turnaround to 8-8.
Johnson became the first player to run for three TDs of 85 yards or longer in a season; no NFL player had even done that in a career. He’ll start next season with a streak of 11 100-yard rushing games; Barry Sanders holds the record with 14 in 1997.
In November, Johnson rushed for 800 yards, the best month of any running back in NFL history. By then, it was a one-man show in the Tennessee backfield; as a rookie, Johnson split duties with LenDale White, and rushed for 1,228 yards and nine TDs.