FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                      CONTACT:
NFL-184                 12/23/03                                                      BRENDAN MOYNIHAN, NFL, 212-450-2246
                                                                                                Moynihanb@nfl.com

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

LIONS LB BOSS BAILEY, CARDINALS WR ANQUAN BOLDIN,

BRONCOS RB QUENTIN GRIFFIN, VIKINGS RB ONTERRIO SMITH

& RAVENS LB TERRELL SUGGS

CANDIDATES FOR PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF WEEK HONORS

Fans To Vote For Winner On NFL.com

Linebacker BOSS BAILEY of the Detroit Lions, wide receiver ANQUAN BOLDIN of the Arizona Cardinals, running back QUENTIN GRIFFIN of the Denver Broncos, running back ONTERRIO SMITH of the Minnesota Vikings, and linebacker TERRELL SUGGS of the Baltimore Ravens are the finalists for PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK honors for games played on December 20-22, the NFL announced today. 

Fans can vote for one of these five players on NFL.com immediately following Monday Night Football until noon Wednesday to determine the PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK.  The PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK will be announced Wednesday afternoon 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:

  • Detroit’s Boss Bailey recorded a team-high 12 tackles and returned a fumble recovery 62 yards for his first career touchdown in the Lions’ 20-14 loss to Carolina.  
     
  • Arizona’s Anquan Boldin caught 10 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown in the Cardinals’ 28-10 loss to Seattle.  Boldin has 96 receptions, the most receptions by a rookie in NFL history, for 1,350 yards and eight touchdowns.     
     
  • Denver’s Quentin Griffin rushed for 136 yards on 28 carries and caught a pass for 24 yards in the Broncos’ playoff-clinching 31-17 win over Indianapolis. 
     
  • Minnesota’s Onterrio Smith rushed for 146 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries, a 7.0 yards-per-carry average, and caught four passes for 37 yards in the Vikings’ 45-20 win over Kansas City.  Smith has rushed for 294 yards in the past two games.      
     
  •  Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs recorded five tackles, 2.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in the Ravens’ 35-0 win over Cleveland.  Suggs’ 12.0 sacks surpasses the Ravens’ team rookie sack record of 11.5 and ties him for second-most in the AFC.

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

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