Chiefs safety Eric Berry wins Comeback Player award
— -- Kansas City safety Eric Berry, who missed 10 games the previous season battling lymphoma, then returned to the Chiefs to become an All-Pro, has won The Associated Press NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.
Berry's inspirational story and superb performance on the field earned him 38 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who regularly cover the league. Berry was a mainstay on a Kansas City defense that sparked a 10-game winning streak during the regular season.
He easily outdistanced Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer, who came back from knee surgery to lead the Cardinals to a 13-3 regular season. Palmer received six votes.
All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson, who sat out all but one game in 2014 in a child abuse case, led the NFL in rushing.
Berry's win was announced Saturday night at the NFL Honors show.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley, who came off knee surgery in college to rush for 1,106 yards, has won The Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Gurley missed the first two games of 2015, then went on a tear that included four straight 100-yard rushing performances: 146, 159, 128 and 133 yards. He finished the season third in league rushing and scored 10 touchdowns.
The first-round draft pick (10th overall) earned 27 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who regularly cover the NFL. He beat out top overall draft selection quarterback Jameis Winston of Tampa Bay, who received 17 votes.
Gurley is the fourth Ram to take the award, joining Hall of Fame RBs Eric Dickerson (1983) and Jerome Bettis (1993), and quarterback Sam Bradford (2010).
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Kansas City's Marcus Peters is the first cornerback in 17 years to win The Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
Peters, a first-round selection (18th overall) out of Washington, was a key to the Chiefs' 11-game winning streak this season that helped them to the divisional playoff round. He tied Cincinnati's Reggie Nelson for the NFL lead with eight interceptions. Peters returned two for scores, one covering 90 yards. He also had a pick in the postseason.
That performance earned Peters 45 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who regularly cover the NFL. Buffalo CB Ronald Darby was next with four votes, and one ballot went to Jets lineman Leonard Williams.
Oakland's Charles Woodson was the previous cornerback to win the award.
Assistant Coach of the Year
Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has won The Associated Press NFL Assistant Coach of the Year award.
Phillips built a defense that ranked first in the league and which is greatly responsible for the Broncos making the Super Bowl. He earned 16 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who regularly cover the league.
The second winner of the honor -- current Jets coach Todd Bowles won the inaugural award while defensive coordinator for Arizona last year -- Phillips received twice as many votes as the runner-up, Cincinnati offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, now head coach of the Browns. Carolina offensive coordinator Mike Shula got seven votes.
Phillips was previously a head coach in Denver, Buffalo and Dallas and interim coach in New Orleans, Atlanta and Houston.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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