In the first tie for NFL most valuable player since 1960, Brett Favre earned an unprecedented third straight award, sharing the honor with 2,000-yard rusher Barry Sanders on Saturday.
In balloting conducted by The Associated Press, the Green Bay quarterback and the Detroit running back each collected 18 votes from a nationwide panel of 48 sports writers and broadcasters.Favre, who easily won the award the past two years, led the league in touchdown passes (35) and was second in yards passing with 3,867. He is the unquestioned leader of the defending Super Bowl champions, a strong consideration among voters.
Sanders became the third player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season when he gained 2,053, second most in league history. Only one of the others, O.J. Simpson in 1973, earned MVP honors; Eric Dickerson, who holds the NFL record with 2,105 yards, was beaten out by Dan Marino in 1984.
"We can look back on this 40 years from now and say you know what, the initial hit is: `Man, I wish I would have won it outright,' " Favre said. "But I won it. You can look back and say I shared it with a great player, a great person.
"I felt up until about three weeks ago that, first of all, I wouldn't win it. I felt like Barry Sanders and Terrell Davis had the upper hand and, the last three games just had me barely thinking about it.
"And what Barry has done has obviously been typical Barry, but even more so. He's an amazing player. I'm honored to be voted again and to be with him, because he's a great player and to be up on a pedestal with him is amazing."
Sanders had similar thoughts about being part of the second tie for MVP - Philadelphia quarterback Norm Van Brocklin and Detroit linebacker Joe Schmidt shared the award in 1960.
"I guess it puts me in elite company," said Sanders, who set a league record with 14 straight games of more than 100 yards rushing after gaining only 53 yards in the first two games. "I'm glad he let me share it with him this year, because the last couple he's taken it for himself.
"He reminds me a lot of Michael Jordan. No matter how successful he's been, he's still always the most competitive person on the field. Outside of his incredible talent and everything, he's always just really competitive."
Favre led the Packers to the NFC Central title in all three of his MVP years. Sanders' Lions were 9-7 and his 184 yards rushing in the finale against the New York Jets lifted them into Sunday's wild-card game at Tampa Bay.
Earlier in the week, Sanders was selected the league's Offensive Player of the Year. He also was a unanimous selection to the AP All-Pro team.
Favre was selected to the AP All-Pro team for the third consecutive year.
Broncos running back Davis finished a distant third in the balloting with four votes. He was followed by 49ers QB Steve Young with three; 49ers tackle Dana Stubblefield, the Defensive Player of the Year, and Steelers running back Jerome Bettis with two each; and Steelers defensive back Carnell Lake with one.
Other Packers to win the award were Paul Hornung in 1961, Jim Taylor in 1962 and Bart Starr in 1966. Schmidt was the only other Lion to win it.