Talking Sports News

The National Football League today announced that Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB LeGarrette Blount was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for December. Over the final five games of the regular season, Blount led the NFL in rushing with 511 yards on 87 carries (5.9 avg.) including two touchdowns. He also tied for the lead league in most runs of 10+ yards with 14. With runs of 20, 48 and 53 yards in Week 16 against Seattle, Blount finished with a career-high 164 yards rushing on 18 carries (9.1 average), leading the Buccaneers to a 38-15 victory. It was the most rushing yards by a Buccaneer back since Warrick Dunn rushed for 210 yards on 22 carries against Dallas on December 3, 2000, and the seventh-most rushing yards in a single game in team history. It also marked the first 150+ yard rusher for the Buccaneers since RB Carnell Williams had 150 rushing yards on 31 carries against Atlanta (12/24/05). Blount is just the fourth Buccaneer player ever to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month Award and the first since RB Carnell Williams won the award twice during the 2005 season. FB Mike Alstott (1996), RB Warrick Dunn (1997) and QB Shaun King (1999) also won the award during their rookie seasons with the Buccaneers. With 1,007 rushing yards, Blount led all rookie running backs and finished the season as just the second undrafted rookie running back to record over 1,000 yards rushing in NFL history, despite starting just seven games.