Who Should Be Voted 2012 NFL Rookie of the Year?

The Year 2012 could be remembered as the year of the rookie quarterback in the NFL. In all, five teams started rookie quarterbacks from the opening snap of the 2012 season including #1 over all draft pick Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts; 2011 Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III of the Washington Redskins; former Wisconsin Badger Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks; Ryan Tannenhill of the Miami Dolphins; and Brandon Wheeden of the Cleveland Browns. Luck, Griffin III, and Wilson posted stellar seasons by producing record-breaking stats and leading their respective teams to the NFL Playoffs.

The verdict is in and amazingly and yet deservedly, Russell Wilson was selected as the NFL 2013 Rookie of the Year.

Even so, which of the three do you think should have been voted most valuable rookie for the 2012 National Football League season?

Robert Griffin III (RG III) of the Washington Redskins led his team to a 10-6 record and a wild card berth in the National Football Conference (NFC) Playoffs. He finished the regular 3rd in the NFL in passer rating at 102.4; while passing for 3,200 yards, 20 touchdowns, and only 5 interceptions. RG III also rushed for 815 yards and 7 TDs. Griffin's 102.4 passer rating set an NFL record for rookies, surpassing the mark set by Ben Roethlisberger in 2004. After a 3-6 start, the Redskins won their final seven games with RG III playing a significant role in five of the seven.

Perhaps, Robert Griffin III's season stats were not surprising to the avid American Football fan. A graduate of Baylor University in Texas, Griffin had an extremely impressive senior year and became the surprise winner of the 2011 Heisman Trophy. He was then selected as the number 2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft behind Andrew Luck.

What should be surprising is how the rookie took over the Washington Redskin locker room and became the outright team leader. NBC Sunday Night Football announcer Cris Collinsworth asked other Redskin players who was the leader of the team and they answered unanimously that Robert Griffin III was the team leader.

Russell Wilson led his team, the Seattle Seahawks, to an 11-5 record and wildcard berth in the 2012 NFL playoffs. He finished the regular season 4th in quarterback rating at 100.0; over 3100 passing yards; and tied for 9th in touchdown passes with 26. His 26 TD passes tied Peyton Manning's an NFL record for touchdown passes as a rookie. Wilson also used his legs and mobility to rush for 431 yards and 3 TDs. Like Robert Griffin III, Wilson's passer rating broke the previous NFL rookie record and he became only the second rookie QB to register a season rating of 100.0 or higher. After a 4-4 start, Wilson led the Seahawks to win seven of their last eight games including the last five of the season.

Of the three rookie quarterbacks featured here, Wilson's performance is perhaps the most surprising. He was drafted as the 75th overall pick in the 2012 draft (12th in the 3rd round). He is considered by many experts to be small for a starting NFL QB at under 5'10" tall. In sheer stats, he was at a disadvantage to Luck and RGIII in that he was part of a much more balanced offensive attacks.

Perhaps, Wilson's overall success should not be too surprising even given his size and draft position. In his final season as QB for the Wisconsin Badgers, he set a single season FBS record for passing rating and led his team to the Big Ten title and victory in the 2012 Rose Bowl.

Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts led his team to an 11-5 record and a wild card berth in the American Football Conference (AFC) playoffs. He finished the regular season with a mediocre passer rating of 76.5; while throwing for 4,374 yards; 23 touchdowns; and 18 interceptions. His 4,374 passing yards set an NFL record for a rookie season surpassing the record set by Carolina Panther QB Can Newton in 2011. After a 6-4 start, Luck led his team to five wins in their last six games.

Andrew Luck's success in the NFL is not surprising to anyone who knows American Football. During high school, Luck was thought to be a QB prodigy. He attended Stanford University in Palo Alto, California where he was twice voted runner-up in Heisman Trophy balloting. Luck was then selected by the Indianapolis Colts as the number 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft. Luck had extra pressure as he was dubbed to take over the Colts offense in place of Indianapolis icon and modern day legend Peyton Manning. Luck struggled with overall consistency, but demonstrated a tenacity to keep fighting to the last second of each game.