Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Vote for Flacco!
NEW YORK -- Former University of Delaware standout quarterback Joe Flacco, who has led the National Football League’s Baltimore Ravens to the AFC semifinals this weekend, is one of five candidates for the 2008 Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year Award.

Fans can vote for Flacco or four other players on NFL.com/rookies from Jan. 2-27 to determine the winner. In addition, NFL fans may cast their votes using phones with Sprint wireless service -- an opportunity available only to Sprint customers. This fast, convenient voting method involves texting the word PEPSI to short code 7777. Sprint customers will then receive an interactive text message that links fans to the ballot with the five finalists.The winner will be announced at a press conference at Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa Bay on Jan. 29.

In addition to Flacco, other candidates for the award are Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, running back Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears, running back Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans, and running back Steve Slaton of the Houston Texans.

The five finalists were selected for their outstanding performances throughout the 2008 NFL season. Each week, five nominees were chosen for Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week. Those results were used to help determine the finalists.

Flacco, who was drafted in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft after a two-year career at Delaware in which he led the Blue Hens to the 2007 NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision title game, was nominated for 10 Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week awards, winning twice.

He led the Ravens to an 11-5 record and an NFL wild card playoff berth this year, leading Baltimore to a win over Miami in the first round. The Ravens will travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans in the AFC semifinals this Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

During the regular season, Flacco completed 257 of 428 passes for 2,971 yards and 14 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions. He also rushed for two touchdowns and his passing rating of 80.3 ranked him 22nd among all quarterbacks for the season In the season's final 11 games, Flacco guided the Ravens to a 9-2 record and a playoff berth, registering a 90.2 passer rating and throwing for 2,127 yards and 13 TDs. Flacco threw at least one touchdown in eight straight games between Oct. 19 - Dec. 7, tying Joe Namath (1965) and Babe Parilli (1952) for the third-longest streak ever among rookie quarterbacks.

Unflappable on the road, Flacco tossed at least one touchdown in each of the Ravens' last six away games. In those six contests, Flacco threw for nine touchdowns and just two interceptions.