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Former Ohio college players nominated for 2022 Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Year

Former Ohio college players nominated for 2022 Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Year

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OHIO — Three former Ohio college football players are finalists for the 2022 Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Year award for the impact they had for their teams during their first professional season.

The award is based on the results of a fan vote.

What You Need To Know

  • Three former Ohio college football players were nominated for 2022 Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Year

  • Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave were among the six nominees

  • The award is based on the results of a fan vote

Former University of Cincinnati cornerback Sauce Gardner and Ohio State University wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave were among the six finalists for the award to be announced during Super Bowl week in Arizona, according to the NFL.

Gardner, who was drafted fourth overall by the New York Jets in the 2022 NFL Draft, led the NFL with 20 passes defended, which is the most by a rookie since 2015. He also was one of two players to record at least 75 tackles and 15 passes defended during the season.

Gardner was named the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week, which is also an awarded decided by fan vote, for weeks 5, 7 and 9.

Wilson, who was drafted 10th overall by the Jets, led all rookies in 2022 with 83 receptions and 1,103 receiving yards, both franchise records for rookies. He also led all rookies with at least 75 receiving yards in eight games and was one of two rookies with two receiving touchdowns in more than one game in 2022.

Wilson was named the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week for weeks 2, 8, 12 and 13.

Olave was drafted 11th overall by the New Orleans Saints in the 2022 draft. Olave finished his rookie season averaging 69.5 receiving yards per game, which led all rookies, and with 1,042 receiving yards and 72 receptions, which both ranked second among rookies on the year. Olave became the third New Orleans rookie ever to gain at least 1,000 receiving yards and led all rookies with 12 games with 50-or-more receiving yards, tied for the third-most such games ever by a rookie.

Olave did not win Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week during the 2022 season.

Other nominees for the annual award include Detroit Lions defensive lineman Aiden Hutchinson (University of Michigan), Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (Michigan State University) and Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen (University of Texas-San Antonio).

Wilson and Walker also are nominated for the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award at the NFL Honors and Gardner, Hutchinson and Woolen are the three nominees for the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

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