What Stephon Gilmore said about winning Defensive Player of the Year
"To win this award and being the best player of the year, it's a blessing and I'm thankful."
Stephon Gilmore added another prestigious accolade for his stellar 2019 season.
The cornerback became the first Patriots player to win the AP Defensive Player of the Year award in franchise history on Saturday.
Gilmore received the award at the NFL Honors show in Miami on Saturday night. After Panthers running back Christian McCaffery announced him as the winner, Gilmore gave his wife a kiss and hugged Kyle Van Noy and Robert Kraft.
Here is what Gilmore said when he got up to the microphone:
“I thank everybody for voting for me. It’s a big award, it’s a big blessing and a lot of hard work,” Gilmore said. “I want to thank the Patriots organization, you know, for coming to get me. I want to thank my wife (and), my kids. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be in this position. It’s a blessing. There’s a lot of great players in this league. To win this award and being the best player of the year, it’s a blessing and I’m thankful. Thank you.”
After keeping it relatively humble on the main stage, Gilmore did a little bit of bragging during the press conference after he won the award.
“Each and every week, I feel like I went against the best receiver every game and was able to shut them down as much as I can,” Gilmore said. “You know, that’s tough. That’s tough when you’re playing on an island, playing a lot man-to-man coverage each and every week. I felt like I did that every week.”
“To be the first player in #Patriots history to win Defensive Player of the Year, it’s a great honor.”
📺: #NFLHonors | Tonight at 8PM ET on FOX pic.twitter.com/f9jjK3Rgt5
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 2, 2020
Gilmore received 21 of the possible 50 votes for the award. Cardinals defensive end and former Patriot Chandler Jones finished in second place with 14 votes. Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt had 10 votes.
Gilmore is the first cornerback to win the award since Charles Woodson won it with the Packers in 2009.
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