Quarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers, safety Darren Sharper of the New Orleans Saints and kick returner-wide receiver Johnny Knox of the Chicago Bears are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Month for October, the NFL announced today.
OFFENSE: QB AARON RODGERS, GREEN BAY PACKERS
• Rodgers led the Packers to a 2-1 record and posted an NFL-best 123.9 passer rating during the month.
• He passed for 988 yards in October and averaged a league-high 329.3 yards per game.
• Rodgers completed an NFC-best 74.5 percent of his passes (70 of 94) during October and his 10.51 yards per attempt mark led the league.
• He had a passer rating of at least 110 in all three games, including a near-perfect 155.4 mark in Week 7 at Cleveland, the highest single-game total in franchise history.
• Rodgers has now posted a 110 rating in four consecutive games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer BART STARR (1966) as the only Packers to accomplish the feat.
• In his fifth season from California, this is Rodgers' first career Player of the Month Award.
• He is the second Packer to win a monthly award this year, joining CHARLES WOODSON (Defense, September).
• The last Green Bay quarterback to win a monthly award was BRETT FAVRE (November 2004).
DEFENSE: S DARREN SHARPER, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
• Sharper led the NFL with two interception-return touchdowns this month and tied for third in the league with three interceptions in October. He added 17 tackles and a half-sack during the month.
• He had a 99-yard interception-return touchdown in Week 4 and added a 42-yard INT-TD in Week 7. He now has 11 career INT-TDs, the second-most in NFL history behind Pro Football Hall of Famer ROD WOODSON's 12.
• Sharper, who also had a 97-yard INT-TD earlier in the year, is the only player in NFL history with two 95 yard interception-return touchdowns in a single season.
• He leads the NFL this season with six interceptions, 317 return yards and three INT-TDs.
• In his 13th season from William and Mary, this is Sharper's second career Player of the Month Award (November 2005). He was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week earlier this season (Week 4).
• He is the second Saint to win a monthly award this season, joining DREW BREES (Offense, September).
SPECIAL TEAMS: KR-WR JOHNNY KNOX, CHICAGO BEARS
• Knox had 12 returns for 347 yards (28.9 average) with one touchdown (102 yards) in October.
• His 28.9-yard average was the highest mark in the NFC for the month (min. 10 returns).
• Knox's 102-yard touchdown is the longest play this season and the second-longest kick-return touchdown in franchise history (Pro Football Hall of Famer GALE SAYERS, 103 yards).
• He added 12 catches for 107 yards during the month with one touchdown.
• He scored a touchdown in two of the Bears' three games in October and had a streak of four games in a row with a touchdown. He is the first rookie in team history to score a TD in four consecutive games since Pro Football Hall of Famer WALTER PAYTON (1975).
• In his rookie season from Abilene Christian, this is Knox's first career Player of the Month Award. He was named the Special Teams Player of the Week earlier this season (Week 4).
2009 NFC PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
Offense
September: QB Drew Brees, New Orleans
October: QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
Defense
September: CB Charles Woodson, Green Bay
October: S Darren Sharper, New Orleans
Special Teams
September: PR-WR DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia
October: KR-WR Johnny Knox, Chicago
