As the NFL looks forward to the Super Bowl this weekend, Pro Football Focus (PFF) is looking backwards - to the best rookie performances in the Super Bowl, anyway. Dalton Wasserman ranked the most impactful rookie performances in the Super Bowl dating back to PFF's founding.
The Indianapolis Colts have had some incredible draft picks, and PFF included one in their list: Joseph Addai. Selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Colts, Addai had a superstar rookie season. That year, he was named the NFL's "Offensive Rookie of the Month" for November, led all rookie running backs for most rushing yards, and was the first running back ever to exceed 1,000 rushing yards without having started a regular season game.
Then came the Super Bowl, which - almost 20 years later - Addai is still getting recognized for.
"Addai totaled 143 total yards and 10 missed tackles forced as a runner and a receiver in the Colts’ victory over the Bears in Super Bowl 41. His 90.3 PFF receiving grade is the highest that PFF has recorded by an offensive rookie in a Super Bowl. Addai’s 2006 season was the best of his career, and while he couldn’t quite repeat that success in the following years, his efforts as a rookie helped Peyton Manning secure his first Lombardi Trophy."Dalton Wasserman
The Colts played the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI and won, giving Colts legend Peyton Manning his first Super Bowl win. Manning was named the MVP for that game, but Addai's contributions can't be ignored, either.
He ran 19 times for 77 yards, and caught 10 passes for another 66 yards; those 10 receptions tied the Super Bowl record for most receptions for a running back.
Addai continued to have a good career in Indianapolis, landing a Pro Bowl nomination in 2007. He retired after six seasons, and lives in Houston with his family. But that incredible performance in the Super Bowl will not likely be forgotten.