Move over Heisman Trophy, there's some new hardware for Sam Bradford's trophy case. St. Louis Rams rookie quarterback Sam Bradford was named the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year tonight. The perfect capstone to a brilliant, record setting freshman campaign.
He got 44 votes out of 50 from the AP voters.
Thinking back to this time last year Bradford was just one of a few potential picks for the Rams, picking first overall after finishing the 2009 season with an abysmal 1-15 record. But no player could have been the franchise building block that Bradford is for the Rams.
When Georgia Frontiere's children hired Billy Devaney as the general manager it marked a turning point in the history of the team. Devaney inherited an Exon Valdez of NFL franchises, abandoned on the rocks by a long period of neglect. He started cleaning the grime off the Ed Jones Dome by hiring head coach Steve Spagnuolo. Together they brought a winning mentality and a vision for the future.
Drafting Sam Bradford represents the cornerstone of that future. Jaws dropped when Bradford signed a contract worth $78 million, but it was fair compensation for the job he had been picked to do.
Rams fans can finally look forward to football again. Congrats and thanks to Sam Bradford, from a fan. I suspect Bradford will take the trophy with his usual "aw shucks" attitude, say thanks and make a statement about how this is just a beginning, the first step toward much better things. And that's exactly why he's the perfect person to lead the Rams into the future.