ARIZONA CARDINALS

Arizona Sports names Cardinals’ Carson Palmer 2015 Athlete of the Year

Dec 29, 2015, 1:00 PM | Updated: Dec 30, 2015, 8:19 am

Follow @AZSportsPresented By...

What a year!

To reflect on 2015, we asked the staff at Arizona Sports 98.7 and Arizona Sports.com to cast their ballots for the Arizona Athlete of the Year.

Each respondent ranked their top five choices from all corners of the sports world.

After the votes were tabulated, we’re pleased to announce Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer is the 2015 Arizona Sports Athlete of the Year.

Palmer is having his finest season as a professional quarterback. The 36-year-old (as of the publishing of this article) has completed 330-of-512 passes for 4,542 yards and a franchise-record 34 touchdowns while leading the Cardinals to an NFC West title and a 13-2 record. He’s considered one of the front-runners for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Award, along with Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

Palmer edged out Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who had another sterling season in 2015. The three-time All-Star batted .321 with 33 home runs and 110 RBI while winning his second Gold Glove and second Silver Slugger Award. The 28-year-old finished second in the National League MVP balloting behind Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper.

Considering their success in 2015, the Cardinals dominated the voting, with four players finishing near the top of the Arizona Sports results. Cornerback Patrick Peterson finished third, while wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and defensive back Tyrann Mathieu rounded out the top five.

While professional athletes ranked high on the list, amateurs got their due as well. Golfer Hannah O’Sullivan, a 17-year-old from Chandler, picked up a second-place vote after winning the U.S. Women’s Amateur Golf Championship in Portland, Ore. last August. O’Sullivan has committed to play at the University of Southern California.

Also on the list was Marvin Bagley III, who as a freshman led Corona del Sol High School to a fourth straight state title last March. Bagley enrolled at Hillcrest Prep, but left early in the season. He is considered the top recruit in the nation for the 2018 class.

Xavier Prep’s Khalia Lanier, who was named the Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year, picked up one fourth-place vote. Lanier, the daughter of Basketball Hall-of-Famer Bob Lanier, is headed to USC to play collegiately.

Check out full voting results below:

ArizonaSports_987_164_copy

Arizona Sports 2015 Athlete of the Year Voting

Athlete First Second Third Fourth Fifth Total
Carson Palmer, Cardinals 12 1 1 67
Paul Goldschmidt, D-backs 1 9 4 53
Patrick Peterson, Cardinals 1 1 4 3 31
Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals 1 4 3 1 23
Tyrann Mathieu, Cardinals 1 1 2 3 18
A.J. Pollock, D-backs 1 5 7
T.J. McConnell, Arizona Basketball 2 6
Hannah O’Sullivan, Amateur Golfer 1 4
Marvin Bagley, HS Basketball 1 3
Eric Bledsoe, Suns 1 2
Brittney Griner, Mercury 1 2
Stanley Johnson, Arizona Basketball 2 2
Khalia Lanier, Xavier Prep Volleyball 1 2
Brad Ziegler, D-backs 2 2
Max Domi, Coyotes 1 1

 

Voting Panel: Dan Bickley, Jon Bloom, Dave Burns, Paul Calvisi, Jarrett Carlen, Doug Franz, John Gambadoro, Adam Green, Craig Grialou, Luke Lapinski, Vince Marotta, Craig Morgan, Ron Wolfley, Steve Zinsmeister

Presented By
Western Governors University

Comments

Comment guidelines: No name-calling, personal attacks, profanity, or insults. Please keep the conversation civil and help us moderate comments by reporting abuse.
comments powered by Disqus

Arizona Cardinals

Desmond Ridder runs the rock against Houston...

Tyler Drake

Desmond Ridder eager to remind fellow Cardinals QB Clayton Tune about college wins

Cardinals quarterback Desmond Ridder may not know Kyler Murray just yet, but he and Clayton Tune go way back.

2 days ago

LSU's Malik Nabers, a top NFL Draft prospect...

Kevin Zimmerman

NFL Draft: Malik Nabers to visit Arizona Cardinals after LSU pro day, per report

Top NFL Draft receiver prospect Malik Nabers will reportedly visit with the Arizona Cardinals after the LSU Tigers' pro day.

2 days ago

Desmond Ridder looks to pass...

Tyler Drake

QB1 or not, Desmond Ridder keeping starter mentality with Cardinals

New Cardinals QB Desmond Ridder is focused on using the good and the bad from his first two seasons rather than listening to outside chatter.

3 days ago

Jonathan Gannon and Kyler Murray look on...

Tyler Drake

Cardinals’ Jonathan Gannon: Kyler Murray’s ‘best football is ahead of him’

Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon believes Kyler Murray will continue taking the necessary steps forward with a full offseason of work.

3 days ago

Kyler Murray chats with Jonathan Gannon...

Arizona Sports

Arizona Cardinals will face ‘really good’ AFC opponent for joint preseason practices

The Arizona Cardinals expect to hold joint practices in the preseason against a really good AFC opponent, in the words of Jonathan Gannon.

3 days ago

Patriots and Cardinals kick off return in 2020...

Associated Press

NFL owners approve new kickoff rules for 2024

NFL kickoff rules will take on a hybrid approach similar to the XFL. League owners approved the new measures Tuesday.

3 days ago

Arizona Sports names Cardinals’ Carson Palmer 2015 Athlete of the Year