Peterson wins FedEx Ground Award

Adrian Peterson became the sixth recipient of the FedEx Ground Player of the Year Award at a ceremony Wednesday at Super Bowl festivities in Tampa.

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was announced today as the FedEx Ground Player of the Year at the Super Bowl festivities in Tampa.

Peterson was the top vote-getter in the contest as the NFL’s top running back, beating out other finalists DeAngelo Williams of the Panthers and Michael Turner of the Falcons.

Drew Brees of the Saints won the FedEx Air Player of the Year, which honors the league’s top quarterback, topping Kurt Warner of the Cardinals and Peyton Manning of the Colts.

It is the sixth year of the FedEx Ground and Air awards and the first time a Vikings player has won. Peterson was a finalist last year, but lost out to Fred Taylor. Previous winners include Brees, Manning, Brett Favre and Carson Palmer for the Air Award; and Taylor, LaDainian Tomlinson, Shaun Alexander, Curtis Martin and Ahman Green for the Ground Award.

In honor of their wins, FedEx is donating $25,000 to the Safe Kids USA coalitions in New Orleans and Minneapolis. Another $25,000 was given to the Safe Kids program in Tampa, the host city for Super Bowl XLIII.