Ex-Cal Star Aaron Rodgers Seeking Record Fifth ESPY Award
Former Cal star Aaron Rodgers has already won the ESPY for best NFL player more times than anyone else, and he one of four candidates to do it again this year.
Packers quarterback Rodgers, the 2020 NFL MVP, is on the ballot along with Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (offensive player of the year), Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald (defensive player of the year) and Tom Brady, quarterback of the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The winners of the 17 individual awards are determined by online fan voting, which can be done here.
The ESPYS will be televised on July 10 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Rodgers has won the ESPY for best NFL player four times -- 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017. Peyton Manning has the second-most NFL ESPY awards with three, and no one else has won it more than twice.
Surprisingly, Rodgers is not one of the four nominees for best male athlete of the year. Those four nominees include Brady, Formula 1 drive Lewis Hamilton, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid.
Rodgers' success in past ESPY voting is probably a testament to his popularity. He has been getting plenty of media attention recently, partly because he was a guest host on "Jeopardy!" and partly because he vacationed in Hawaii with his fiancee, actress Shailene Woodley.
However, most of the attention is because Rodgers has said he doesn't want to play for the Packers anymore and is requesting a trade. The Packers have said they won't trade Rodgers, but Rodgers did not attend the team's mandatory minicamp last week.
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Cover photo of Aaron Rodgers by Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports
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