Saquon Barkley, who finished second in the NFL with 1,307 rushing yards as a rookie with the New York Giants, earned the ESPY for best breakthrough athlete on Wednesday night at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
The Milwaukee Brewers‘ Christian Yelich, the Atlanta Hawks‘ Trae Young and tennis player Naomi Osaka, the reigning women’s singles champion at the US Open and the Australian Open, were the other nominees.
“I want to say thank you to God for blessing me with the opportunity to wake up every single day and play the sport I love and have impact on others,” Barkley said upon receiving the award. “I want to say thank you to the Giants organization for drafting me and taking a chance on me. I wouldn’t be able to play the sport I love without you guys also.”
Barkley was named the 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by The Associated Press and also won the fan voting for the Pepsi Rookie of the Year.
Barkley also had a team-high 91 receptions — an NFL record for a rookie running back — for 721 yards, and his 2,028 yards from scrimmage led the league.
He was the third rookie in NFL history to have 2,000 scrimmage yards, joining Eric Dickerson in 1983 and Edgerrin James in 1999.
His six rushes of 50-plus yards this season were the most by a Giants player in a season since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
The V Foundation for Cancer Research has been synonymous with The ESPYS since the late Jim Valvano announced its beginning during a memorable speech while receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 1993 awards show.
At Wednesday’s ceremony, it was announced that the V Foundation has raised more than $100 million for cancer research since its inception.
Best Record-Breaking Performance
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees received the ESPY for best record-breaking performance for becoming the NFL’s all-time leading passer.
He won the award over Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu, who became women’s basketball’s all-time leader in triple doubles; Golden State‘s Klay Thompson, who set the record for 3-pointers in a game with 14; and Matthew Boling, who set the high-school record in the 100 meters.
Brees broke Peyton Manning’s record of 71,940 career passing yards with a 62-yard touchdown pass to receiver Tre’Quan Smith in the second quarter of a 43-19 win over Washington in October.
The game was one of the best performances of his 18-year career, completing 23 of 26 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns. His completion percentage of 89.7 was a career best.
Brees is the unlikeliest of all-time great quarterbacks — just 6 feet tall, barely recruited out of high school, he fell to the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the NFL draft out of Purdue in 2001 and was doubted by most of the league when he became a free agent after a career-threatening shoulder injury in 2005.
Pat Tillman Award
Former U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Kirstie Ennis, an athlete for most her life before suffering severe injuries in a helicopter crash while on active duty in Afghanistan, received the Pat Tillman Award for Service.
Ennis, who had more than three dozen surgeries, including the amputation of her left leg above the knee, after suffering facial trauma, a traumatic brain injury, cervical and lumbar spine trauma, and bilateral shoulder damage in the 2012 crash, turned to sports during her recovery. She has won three gold medals in swimming at the Warrior Games, but competitions are only part of her story.
She has also walked 1,000 miles across Britain, and has reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, Carstensz, Mount Elbrus and Aconcagua in her attempt to become the first female above-the-knee amputee to summit all seven of the world’s highest peaks.
The award is named after former NFL linebacker and U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman, who died during active service in Afghanistan after he returned to the military following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Among the other notable winners:
Best NFL Player: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Best MLB Player: Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers
Best NHL Player: Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Best College Athlete: Zion Williamson, Duke
Best Coach: Jim Calhoun
Best WNBA Player: Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm
Best Male Golfer: Brooks Koepka
Best Female Golfer: Brooke Henderson
Best Female Tennis Player: Serena Williams
Best Male Tennis Player: Roger Federer
Best Driver: Kyle Busch
Best International Women’s Soccer Player: Sam Kerr
Best International Men’s Soccer Player: Lionel Messi
Best MLS Player: Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Best MMA Fighter: Daniel Cormier
Best Upset: Andy Ruiz Jr. defeats Anthony Joshua
Best Comeback: St. Louis Blues