While the criteria for the award are vague, it is often presented to a player who demonstrates persistence in overcoming difficulties from being unable to play the previous season, such as an injury, or for doing well in comparison to the previous year's bad performance. The comeback player is commonly seen as someone who has been through difficult circumstances but has managed to come out on the other side intact and able to continue playing at a high level.
The first comeback player of the year award was given in 1986, when Boston Celtics center Bill Walton overcame injuries that had sidelined him for most of the previous season to win the honor. Walton had appeared in just 42 games over four seasons with the Celtics before being forced to retire due to complications from pleurisy, pneumonia, and heart problems.
After missing more than a year of basketball because of surgery and recovery time, Walton returned in 1990 and helped the Celtics reach the NBA Finals, where they lost to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. That same year, Utah Jazz forward John Stockton was voted the league's MVP despite only playing in 65 games because of injury. He had previously won the award in 1989 after appearing in just 62 games.
In 1991, Seattle Supersonics forward Shawn Kemp won the comeback player of the year award even though he missed only three games due to injury. At the time, this was the most games missed due to injury in a single season.
The National Football League Comeback Player of the Year Award is one of several accolades presented to a National Football League (NFL) player who has demonstrated persistence in overcoming hardship, whether it was not being in the NFL the previous year, a serious injury, or just bad performance. The award was first given after the 1987 season when its creator, John Brozik of ESPN, wanted to honor a comeback player that did not receive any other awards.
In 2008, the Comeback Player of the Year Award was added to the list of awards presented during the annual NFL Honors ceremony. The award is given to one NFL player "for perseverance and achievement following a career-threatening injury or adverse circumstance."
The winner is selected by both an official committee and fan vote. The committee votes on candidates while fans can vote online for their favorite comeback player. Voters are asked to consider factors such as leadership skills, contribution to team success, influence on others, community service, and longevity.
Past winners include Troy Aikman, Michael Adams, Eric Dickerson, Marshall Faulk, Terrell Owens, Isaac Bruce, Tony Dorsett, Mike Webster, and Andre Woodson. Current winners are indicated with a blue background color.
Winners are chosen each year shortly after the conclusion of the NFL regular season.
An Athlete of the Year award is awarded by several sports organizations to an athlete that they believe deserves to be recognized. The selection is usually based on achievements over the course of a year or, in some cases, a month.
The first annual Athlete of the Year award was given by the National Football League (NFL) in 1947 to honor the league's best player as determined by fans voting at newspaper offices across the country. The trophy is called the Maxwell Award because it was established by the NFL and its president at the time, George B. Maxwell.
Since then, a number of other awards have been created by various sports organizations. Some of the more prominent ones are listed below:
• NBA MVP: Given out annually by the NBA to its most valuable player as voted by their peers through a survey of team managers and coaches. The winner is determined by which player has the highest percentage of votes from his/her team's head coaches.
• MLB MVP: Given out annually by Major League Baseball to its most valuable player as voted by members of the media. The winner is determined by how many votes each player receives from all of the club presidents/chairmen around the league.
The NFL CPOY Award has been granted to quarterbacks 13 times in the previous 19 years. Last season, Washington quarterback Alex Smith won the honor for his remarkable comeback season, amid overwhelming doubts about his ability to play again. The NFL announced this week that Kansas City's Smith will be the recipient of its annual recognition ceremony on February 27.
Other than quarterbacks, no other position has had more than two winners since the start of the award in 2003. Running backs have had the most success with four trophies, followed by receivers/returners (three awards) and defensive players (two awards). Placekickers and linebackers each have one winner. The only other nominee for the award this year is Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly.
The NFL Career Leaders Committee selects one player from each club as part of its voting process to determine a career leaderboard. Only players who started at least three seasons are considered for the award.
The award was created in 2002 to give some recognition to players who come back from serious injuries and still have a huge impact on their teams. It is not meant to be an annual prize but rather something given out once or twice a year when there is a clear cut choice between several worthy candidates.
In 2011, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison became the first defensive player to win the award.
To accomplish or do something positive after failing or doing something negative They can atone for yesterday's defeat by winning today's game.
Redemption is the act of paying back someone or something for an offense or wrong done by them. It can also mean the return of something lost, such as your redemption price on a horse. Redeem oneself refers to paying back one's sins or faults by good works. One can never repay another person for harm done, but one can always try to make up for bad behavior with good actions.
Redemption stories are found in many religions. Christians believe that Jesus Christ can redeem mankind from sin. He did this when he was crucified for our offenses and rose again from the dead to show us the way out. Muslims believe that Muhammad redeemed Islam from previous rulers who abused their power. Jews believe that Moses redeemed Israel from Egypt's slavery. Each day we hear stories about people who have been redeemed from poverty, addiction, illness, and even death.
As you can see, it has many meanings: salvation, forgiveness of sins, recovery, restoration. All of these things go together because salvation without forgiveness of sins cannot be complete.
There is no official comeback player of the year award in collegiate softball, but we can all agree that Morganne Flores fit the bill last season. The left-handed pitcher from Houston played her first season after undergoing back surgery in 2014. She went 33-3 with a 1.11 ERA and led Texas to its second straight national championship.
Flores isn't the only one who had a great comeback season either. After missing most of her freshman year due to injury, Kacy Clemens came back from microfracture knee surgery to play 42 games for Stanford in 2015. The left-hander went 30-3 with a 0.73 ERA and won the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Softball Tournament's Most Outstanding Player Award.
Also coming back from serious injuries was Georgia right-hander Jordan Baker. The 2011 first-round pick by the Atlanta Braves underwent shoulder surgery before her sophomore season and didn't appear in a game until late May of this year. By mid-August, she had pitched her way into the No. 1 spot in the NCAA rankings.
Baker's comeback story is amazing because it wasn't supposed to be possible. When she got hurt, doctors said she would never pitch again.
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