FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                      CONTACT:
NFL-150                  12/2/03                                                       BRENDAN MOYNIHAN, NFL, 212-450-2246
                                                                                                Moynihanb@nfl.com

DAVE DECECCO, PEPSI-COLA, 914-253-2655
            David.DeCecco@Pepsi.com

TEXANS RB DOMANICK DAVIS, BEARS RB BROCK FORSEY,

PATRIOTS WR-KR BETHEL JOHNSON, CHARGERS CB TERRENCE KIEL

& JAGUARS QB BYRON LEFTWICH

CANDIDATES FOR PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF WEEK HONORS

Fans To Vote For Winner On NFL.com

Running back DOMANICK DAVIS of the Houston Texans, running back BROCK FORSEY of the Chicago Bears, wide receiver BETHEL JOHNSON of the New England Patriots, cornerback TERRENCE KIEL of the San Diego Chargers, and quarterback BYRON LEFTWICH of the Jacksonville Jaguars are the finalists for PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK honors for games played on November 27, 30-December 1, the NFL announced today. 

Fans can vote for one of these five players on NFL.com from Tuesday morning until 9:00 AM ET Thursday to determine the PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK.  The PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK will be announced Thursday on NFL.com.

After the regular season, five players will be nominated for Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year honors.  Fans can vote for the winner on NFL.com throughout the month of January.  The winner will be announced at a press conference at Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston.

A closer look at the finalists:

  • Houston’s Domanick Davis rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries and caught two passes for 27 yards in the Texans’ 17-13 win over Atlanta.  Davis leads all rookies with 825 yards rushing and has rushed for 100 or more yards in four of his seven career starts.
     
  • Chicago’s Brock Forsey rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries and caught two passes for 27 yards in the Bears’ 28-3 win over Arizona.  Forsey has rushed for 190 yards and two touchdowns in two career starts. 
     
  • New England’s Bethel Johnson returned five kickoffs for 192 yards and a touchdown, an average of 38.4 yards per return, in the Patriots’ 38-34 win over Indianapolis.  Johnson’s 92-yard kickoff-return touchdown was the final play of the first half and gave the Patriots a 24-10 lead, and his 67-yard return in the fourth quarter in a 31-31 tie game led to the Patriots’ game-winning points.  He also caught two passes for seven yards.     
     
  • San Diego’s Terrence Kiel, in his fourth career start, recorded eight tackles and one special teams tackle in the Chargers’ 28-24 loss to Kansas City.   
     
  • Jacksonville’s Byron Leftwich completed 20 of 34 attempts for 224 yards and two touchdowns for a 98.2 passer rating in the Jaguars’ 17-10 win over Tampa Bay. 

 This is Pepsi’s second year as the official soft drink sponsor of the NFL.