This classifyiesas “old news” but there was simply too much going on with the holidays to write anything about it, but the Steelers 2015 Regular Season Awards are in, and Antonio Brown, David DeCastro and Bud Dupree lead the way.
Antonio Brown Wins 3rd Steelers MVP Award
Steelers fans can now officially discuss wide receiver Antonio Brown alongside Hall of Famers Jerome Bettis and Rod Woodson and Steelers Hall of Fame hopeful Hines Ward. The Steelers locker room voted Antonio Brown as the team’s MVP for the third time in his career, and that is something that the other three Steelers mentioned have only done.
- Steelers legends such as Terry Bradshaw, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, Greg Lloyd and Louis Lipps only accomplished that feat twice.
- Joe Greene, Mr. Pittsburgh Steeler himself, only won the award once
It is hard to argue with Brown’s selection as Steelers MVP. With 136 receptions, 1836 yards and 10 touchdowns, the only thing that slowed Antonio Brown was a couple of Mike Vick starts. With that said, strong cases could have been made for both Ben Roethlisberger and DeAngelo Williams.
While both players had strong seasons and deserve credit, Brown rightfully wins the highest honor among the Steelers 2015 regular awards.
David DeCastro, Antonio Brown Win All Pro Honors
A few weeks back David DeCastro and Antonio Brown won Pro Bowl honors, and this week the AP took it a step further by naming both men as starters to the 2015 All Pro Team. They were the only Steelers honored, adding to the Steelers 2015 regular season awards.
Brown was also named the AFC’s offensive player of the month, and Steelers place kicker Chris Boswell won AFC Special Teams player of the month honors.
Bud Dupree Win Joe Greene Great Performance Award
Steelers 1st round draft pick linebacker Bud Dupree won the Steelers Joe Greene Great Performance Award, the long way of saying Dupree was the Steelers 2015 rookie of the year.
- The history of the Steelers rookie of the year award is checkered.
In recent years it’s been won by players like DeCastro, Marcus Gilbert, Maurkice Pouncey and Le’Veon Bell, who’ve sustained their rookie performance. Other award winners later performance has been less consistent (see Kendrell Bell and 2008’s winner, Patrick Bailey.)
Dupree was labeled as a “project” my many coming out of college. He’s officially made four stats as a rookie, and recorded four sacks, while splitting time with James Harrison, Jarvis Jones, and Arthur Moats.
The arrow appears to be pointed up on Dupree, and at any rate his only real competition for the award would have come from tight end Jesse James, undrafted and/or rookie free agent Roosevelt Nix as the rest of the Steelers 2015 Draft Class has been pretty quiet.
