35 NFL Rookies Who Took The League By Storm

Darren - September 10, 2020

35 NFL Rookies Who Took The League By Storm

Darren - September 10, 2020

3. Jevon Kearse

When a rookie makes the Pro Bowl, they’ve obviously done very well. Not many manage to achieve this honor. However, Kearse did after an exceptional year in 1999 for the Tennessee Titans. You could argue that he peaked in his first year because he never achieved the same number of sacks in a season again.

‘The Freak’ was a major part of the Titans’ reaching the Super Bowl final. With 48 tackles, eight forced fumbles, and an excellent 14.5 sacks, Kearse was a force of nature in the Tenessee backline. Needless to say, he won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award for his staggering contribution.

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2. Cam Newton

Newton took a meandering route to the NFL, but when he finally arrived, he took the league by storm. The young Carolina Panthers’ quarterback quickly ousted his competition and showed off his incredible talents. He was the first rookie quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in their first season.

His overall value to the team was incredible. Newton set all kinds of records in his debut year, including rushing yards by a rookie QB and many more. Meanwhile, he won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award which was practically a given.

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1. Ben Roethlisberger

‘Big Ben’ has been in the NFL for 16 years but has been brilliant from the beginning. Incredibly, he was the Pittsburgh Steeler’s third-string quarterback before injuries got him on the field. Then he made the starting shirt his, going 13-0 in his rookie season. In short, the Offensive Rookie of the Year had a dream start.

The Patriots did eventually shut him down in the AFC Championship game, but Roethlisberger had an excellent regular season. After coming into the team with pressure on his shoulders, he took the NFL by storm. His 2621 passing yards were a very reasonable return, but the best was yet to come as ‘Big Ben’ eventually won two Super Bowls.

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35 NFL Rookies Who Took The League By Storm