Jared Allen selected Sporting News Defensive Player of the Year
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The Minnesota Vikings' 3-13 finish couldn't take away from what Jared Allen did this season.
The defensive end, whose 22 sacks left him a half-sack short of Michael Strahan's single-season NFL record, was named The Sporting News Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday.
A panel of 632 NFL players, coaches and executives chose the 29-year-old Allen for the honor over Dallas' DeMarcus Ware. Allen received 113 votes, while Ware got 111.
Earlier this month, Allen learned he would be honored as the NFC Defensive Player of the Year at the Football 101 Awards.
He also has been named to the Pro Bowl and The Associated Press' All-Pro first team.
The AP awards generally are recognized as "official" honors, since the NFL doesn't hand out its own awards.
That organization will announce its awards in a two-hour prime-time special on Super Bowl eve, Feb. 4 on NBC. All seven AP NFL honors will be presented from 8-10 that evening from the Murat Theater in Indianapolis.
