One Viking Already Won an Award This Season
Justin Jefferson will vie for another Offensive Player of the Year award this season, Jordan Addison will contend for Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Kirk Cousins is considered a fringe dark-horse pursuer of league MVP hardware.
One Viking Already Won an Award This Season
But before that, one Viking has already snagged a Community MVP award — running back Alexander Mattison.
The NFL Players Association tweeted Friday, “We’re kicking off year 10 of Community MVP in the Twin Cities. Alexander Mattison is our Week 1 honoree after hosting a back-to school event that blessed 250+ kids with backpacks, supplies, shirts, shoes, free haircuts and more in Minneapolis.”
A new player will win the honor each week, and Mattison is the pace-setter for 2023.
The NFLPA described Mattison’s actions for reaping the honor, “The Minnesota Vikings running back kicked off his season-long Rush 2 Give initiative on August 30 with a fun-filled event for local students from under-resourced schools. Teaming up with the Salvation Army, Mattison provided the more than 250 kids in attendance with new backpacks, books, school supplies, shirts, shoes, socks and I AM GIFTED wristbands. Local barbers were also on site to give free haircuts to the kids in preparation for the new school year.”
Mattison is on tap as the Vikings RB1 this season after four years of RB2 duty behind Dalvin Cook, who joined the New York Jets last month.
“Along with helping out those in his team city, Mattison extended his vow for support to the youth in his hometown of San Bernadino, California. During an August 5 event at his alma mater, San Bernadino High School, 250 students received backpacks filled with school supplies and mental health cards,” the NFLPA website added.
The award for Mattison is unsurprising, on the whole, because he’s long been labeled one of the “good guys,” among many, in the Vikings locker room.
Mattison said about his mission statement, “Not only do I aim to help provide knowledge and resources that I didn’t have growing up, but my goal is to help individuals — the youth especially — to open their eyes to doing everything they possibly can do to become the best version of themselves in every aspect of their life, day in and day out.”
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin won the annual 2022 Community MVP. Former Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway won the honor in 2015.
The Vikings host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Mattison’s first game as an undisputed RB1 [as a pro].
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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