Jackson Free Press

Before the focus on the NFL shifts from the regular season to the offseason, we should discuss a few things that happened before Super Bowl LI and going forward to the NFL Combine.

If you missed it, Saturday night, Feb. 4, which was the night before the Super Bowl, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was named Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year at the NFL Honors ceremony. On Friday, Feb. 3, he was named Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year. His coach, Jason Garrett, won AP NFL Coach of the Year.

Dallas thought Prescott would end up sitting out this year and learning behind veterans Tony Romo and Kellen Moore. Instead, Moore broke a bone in his leg in practice to move to second string, and early in the preseason, Romo injured his back making Prescott the starter. All the rookie from Mississippi State did was lead the Cowboys to the best record in the NFC and playoffs.

Prescott is the first Dallas player to win the award since Emmitt Smith in 1990. Smith went on to become the NFL’s all-time leading rusher and helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls.

Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott finished second in the voting. Prescott thanked the 31 teams that passed on him and wished he could cut the award in half to share with Elliott.

Prescott now has to follow up his amazing rookie season with more of the same in 2017. He won’t be under the radar, and everyone will look to see if he has a sophomore slump.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan won Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year and NFL MVP but continued the trend of NFL MVPs losing the Super Bowl. Ryan’s offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan won AP Assistant Coach of the Year.

San Diego Chargers linebacker Joey Bosa won AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and Green Bay Packer wide receiver Jordy Nelson was named AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year after recovering from a knee injury. Oakland Raiders linebacker Khalil Mack was named AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

The NFL honored its past on Super Bowl weekend. During the NFL Honors, the 2017 NFL Hall of Fame Class was announced. Long-time New Orleans Saints kicker Morten Andersen was voted into the hall.

Andersen was one of the Saints’ biggest offensive weapons in the 1980s and 1990s and is the leading scorer in NFL, New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons history. He is just the second player to make the hall strictly as a kicker. The first is Jan Stenerud.

In Andersen’s 25 seasons in the NFL, he played in 325 games, which is also a NFL record, while playing for five teams and racked up 2,544 points. He is one of the first kickers to make 40- and 50-yard field goals look easy.

Joining Andersen in the hall is St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner, Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, Seattle Seahawks safety Kenny Easley, San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson, Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

A final bit of important news to look at is the exclusion of University of Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon from the NFL Combine. Mixon was suspended for a year from the Sooners football team for punching female OU student Amelia Molitor.

He somehow ended up with just a year of probation and counseling and 100 hours of community service in a plea agreement. Molitor suffered four broken facial bones after Mixon punched her.

Last season the NFL instituted a new policy barring players from the Combine that have felony or misdemeanor convictions for domestic violence, a sexual offense, violence or use of a weapon, and sexual assault. While Mixon wasn’t convicted, the NFL can bar anyone from participating in the Combine.

Joining Mixon on the NFL Combine's persona non grata list is Baylor University Ishmael Zamora, who was caught on film beating a dog. He was charged with misdemeanor animal abuse and suspended for three games.

Mixon and Zamora can workout for teams before the draft and are still draft eligible, but neither will be able to compete in the biggest workout for players who will most likely get drafted.

The NFL has had plenty of missteps recently as it tries to get tougher on players committing violence against women. This is another step for the league to try to make players accountable for their actions off the field.

Mixon and Zamora could both end up being drafted, but the team that selects either player is going to take heat for the pick. Both players could slide down the draft as teams look to stay away from controversy.