Fans to vote for winners on NFL.com; FedEx to deliver funding on winners' behalf to benefit Junior Achievement
The NFL announced today that quarterbacks DREW BREES of the New Orleans Saints, ANDREW LUCK of the Indianapolis Colts and ALEX SMITH of the San Francisco 49ers are the finalists for the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week honors for games played on October 4-8, while running backs AHMAD BRADSHAW of the New York Giants, ARIAN FOSTER of the Houston Texans and STEVAN RIDLEY of the New England Patriots are the finalists for the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week.
Fans can vote for one player in each category on NFL.com/FedEx from 9 a.m. EST on Tuesday through 3 p.m. EST on Friday to determine the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week. The winners will be announced Friday on NFL Total Access on NFL Network and on NFL.com.
Fans will be voting for more than their favorite player. As part of the Air & Ground program and its commitment to small business owners, FedEx will support education efforts at Junior Achievement by making weekly $2,000 donations in each of the winning players' names. The funding, allocated to local Junior Achievement area offices in that team's city or state, is used to help U.S. small business development, by educating the next generation of entrepreneurs on how to start and grow their own businesses.
A closer look at the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week finalists:
• New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees was 29 of 45 for 370 yards and four touchdowns in the Saints' 31-24 victory over the San Diego Chargers. Brees threw a touchdown in his 48th straight game breaking Hall of Fame quarterback JOHNNY UNITAS' record.
• Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck threw for 362 yards on 31 of 55 attempts and two touchdowns as the Colts beat the Green Bay Packers 30-27.
• San Francisco 49ers QB Alex Smith completed 18 of 24 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns. He finished the day with a 156.3 passer rating in the 49ers' 45-3 defeat of the Buffalo Bills.
A closer look at the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week finalists:
• New York Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 200 yards and scored one touchdown on 30 carries in the Giants' 41-27 win over the Cleveland Browns.
• Houston Texans RB Arian Foster had 29 carries for 152 yards and a touchdown as the Texans improved to 5-0 with a 23-17 win over the New York Jets.
• New England Patriots RB Stevan Ridley gained 151 yards on 28 carries and scored one touchdown in the Patriots' victory over the Denver Broncos 31-21.
As the Official Delivery Service Sponsor of the NFL, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl, FedEx is proud to sponsor the 10th annual Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week program. The awards highlight superior on-field performance among the league's top-performing quarterbacks and running backs, while supporting small business efforts and providing business solutions that matter to fans and customers alike. Follow FedEx on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter @FedExDelivers.
