FOR USE AS DESIRED
NFL-ROM-4          1/6/05

LIONS RB KEVIN JONES & BRONCOS LB D.J. WILLIAMS
NAMED NFL ROOKIES OF MONTH FOR DECEMBER

Running back KEVIN JONES of the Detroit Lions and linebacker D.J. WILLIAMS of the Denver Broncos are the NFL Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Month for December, the NFL announced today.

OFFENSE: RB KEVIN JONES, DETROIT LIONS

·        Jones capped one of the most prolific seasons by a rookie running back in team history with an outstanding final month, displaying the potential that made him a first-round draft pick (No. 30) in April.  The former Virginia Tech star led all NFL players in rushing over the final five games of 2004, gaining 626 yards on 122 carries, a healthy 5.1-yards per carry average.  Jones, who scored a touchdown in four consecutive December games, topped 100 yards rushing three times, including a 196-yard effort in a 26-12 win over the Arizona Cardinals on December 5 – tied for the fourth-highest single-game rushing total in the NFL this season.  Jones followed his 196-yard performance with a 156-yard output against Green Bay, becoming the first rookie in franchise history with consecutive 150-yard games.  Jones became the third rookie in team history to rush for 1,000 yards (1,133) in the Lions’ 19-13 win against Chicago on December 26, joining BARRY SANDERS (1,470, 1989) and BILLY SIMS (1,303, 1980).      

Jones – the only rookie to rush for 1,000 yards this season – is the second Lions player to earn NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month honors this year as teammate and wide receiver ROY WILLIAMS won the league award in September.   

DEFENSE: LB D.J. WILLIAMS, DENVER BRONCOS

·         Williams, Denver’s starting rookie inside linebacker (first-round, Miami) posted 45 tackles in the Broncos’ five December-January contests to help the team win three of its final four games and earn a postseason berth.  In addition to his tackle total, the 6-1, 242-pound linebacker from Pittsburg, California registered 1.0 sack, an interception, four passes defensed and a forced fumble in the five-game span.  Williams also lead the NFL’s fourth-ranked defense in tackles for the season with 114.  Williams became the first Bronco rookie to lead the team in tackles for a season since rookie linebacker TOM GRAHAM tied LYLE ALZADO (91) for the club-high mark in 1972.  A former three-year starter at Miami, Williams fortified the middle of a Denver defense that led the NFL in allowing the fewest first downs on the season (13.8 per game) and yielded the league’s third-stingiest third-down conversion rate of 31.1 percent. 

Williams is the second rookie linebacker from Miami to earn NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month honors in as many months as former Hurricane teammate JONATHAN VILMA of the Jets was awarded the distinction in November. 

2004 NFL ROOKIES OF THE MONTH
 

Other nominees for the December NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month Award were:

• Tampa Bay wide receiver MICHAEL CLAYTON (first-round, Louisiana State), who totaled 20 receptions for 365 yards and four touchdowns.  Clayton finished the season as the NFL rookie leader with 80 catches for 1,193 yards and seven touchdowns.
• Buffalo wide receiver LEE EVANS (first-round, Wisconsin), who caught a touchdown pass in four of the Bills’ final five games and caught two TDs in two of the five.  Finished December-January with 399 receiving yards and a pair of 100-yard games with a 17.3-yard average on 23 receptions.
• St. Louis running back STEVEN JACKSON (first-round, Oregon State), who posted 100-yard games in two of his three December/January games, finishing with 296 yards and two touchdowns and adding seven receptions for 81 yards.
• Dallas running back JULIUS JONES (second-round, Notre Dame), who rushed for 572 yards on 129 carries, averaging 4.4 yards per attempt.  He also added five touchdown runs and 14 receptions for 96 yards.  Jones finished the season with 819 rushing yards, second-most in the league among rookies.
• New York Giants quarterback ELI MANNING (first-round, Mississippi), who completed 69 of 130 attempts for 667 yards, five touchdown and six interceptions, earning his first career win in a 28-24 victory over Dallas in Week 17.
• Pittsburgh quarterback BEN ROETHLISBERGER, who in four starts led the Steelers to a 4-0 record, completing 55 of 83 passes (66.3 percent) for 902 yards (225.5 per game) with five touchdowns against five interceptions for a 97.6 passer rating.

Other nominees for the December NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month Award were:

• Arizona defensive tackle DARNELL DOCKETT (third-round, Florida State), who started four games in December/January, posting 10 tackles, 1.0 sack, one interception and one fumble recovery.
• New England defensive back RANDALL GAY, who started four of five games at cornerback and notched 14 tackles, two passes defensed and a 41-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown.
• San Francisco cornerback SHAWNTAE SPENCER (second-round, Pittsburgh), who started every game in December/January, posting 26 tackles, three passes defensed and one forced fumble.
• New York Giants linebacker REGGIE TORBOR (fourth-round, Auburn), who posted 3.0 sacks, 11 tackles and one fumble recovery.
• New York Jets linebacker JONATHAN VILMA, who started the final 14 games of the season and in five December-January outings registered 35 tackles, 1.0 sack, a 38-yard interception return for a touchdown, and six special teams tackles.  Vilma’s Week 17 interception-TD was the first by a Jets rookie since ERIK MC MILLAN in 1990.