Former LSU standouts Odell Beckham Jr. and Jeremy Hill are among five finalists for the 2014 Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year Award, the league announced Tuesday.
Awards issued by the Associated Press are considered official, but fan voting has been included in a separate category since 2002. Results from weekly voting at NFL.com determine the finalists, which includes a pair of Baton Rouge natives in Beckham and Hill.
Beckham, a first-round selection of the New York Giants, missed four games with a hamstring injury but made up for lost time. A one-handed catch against Dallas earned national attention as he set team rookie records with 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns. Beckham picked up consecutive Rookie of the Month honors in November and December and earned Rookie of the Week honors four times, sweeping the final three polls of the regular season.
Hill became a consistent starter for the Cincinnati Bengals midway through the season and won the job outright in December. He collected Rookie of the Week honors after rushing for 154 yards on 24 carries with two touchdowns on Nov. 2. Hill led Cincinnati with 1,124 rushing yards, which ranked eighth in the NFL, and added nine touchdowns. The First-Team All-SEC selection became the first Bengals rookie with at least 1,000 rushing yards since 1997.
Other nominees include Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans and Buffalo Bills receiver Sammy Watkins.
Voting at NFL.com/rookies closes on Jan. 29 with the winner crowned on Jan. 31.