Bert Bell Award
Professional Player of the Year

Rich Gannon, Oakland Raiders

Rich Gannon never stopped believing in himself. All he needed was to find a team that believed in him, as well. He found that in Oakland, with head coach Jon Gruden. The result: a career year for Gannon this season and a trip to the AFC Championship Game for the Raiders.

"There are certain things Rich brings to a team," Gruden said. "He is a mobile guy. He does well in crunch time. He has an aura about him. We clicked right away. I'd never been around a guy who was so passionate about playing."

Gannon was 34 when he signed with the Raiders in 1999, a veteran of 11 seasons with three different teams. He had a Pro Bowl season in '99 and an even better season this past year when he passed for a career-high 28 touchdowns and rushed for 529 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Raiders to a 12-4 record.

"Rich is the guy who made the difference," said Gruden who is only two years older than his 35-year-old quarterback. "We had a lot of close games early in the season and Rich led us on some big drives to win them. The whole team gained confidence from that."

Gannon is the 42nd winner of the Bert Bell Award as the Maxwell Football Club's Professional Player of the Year. He is the first player ever to win the Bert Bell Award after winning the Maxwell Club Award as Philadelphia High School Player of the Year. Gannon was previously honored for his career at St. Joseph's Prep.

He starred at the University of Delaware and was selected in the 1988 draft by the New England Patriots, who planned to make him a running back. When Gannon told the Patriots he was not interested in changing positions, the team traded his rights to Minnesota. He spent five seasons with the Vikings, then was traded again to Washington and later signed with Kansas City.

A shoulder injury which required surgery sidelined him for the entire 1994 season. He was almost written off until Gruden brought him to Oakland in 1999. He was reborn in silver-and-black and he helped put the Raiders back in the AFC title game for the first time in a decade.

The Raiders averaged 18 points per game in 1998 with Jeff George at quarterback, but since Gannon took over the offense, the team averaged 24.2 points per game in 1999 and 29.9 this past season. He made his first post-season start in the AFC Wild Card game against Miami and completed 12 of 18 passes in a 27-0 win.

Gannon had a splendid season, but it was his performance in Week 2 against Indianapolis that epitomized his MVP effort. He brought the Raiders back from a 21-0 deficit to win 38-31. He led Oakland on six consecutive scoring drives and he ran for three of the touchdowns himself.

"Teams think they have us stopped on third down and Rich moves around and runs for the first down," said running back Tyrone Wheatley. "That frustrates the hell out of them. I know because that's how I feel when it happens to us. Rich is a great leader. He does whatever it takes to win."

"His intensity is unmatched by any quarterback I've been around," said Pro Bowl receiver Tim Brown. "(Jeff) Hostetler was intense, too, but Rich is even more so. And he has made all the plays. He is a complete football player, a complete quarterback."

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