Minnesota Vikings cornerback Terence Newman was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in his career after intercepting two passes and nearly picking off a third during Minnesota’s 30-14 win over the Oakland Raiders in Week 10.
The 37-year-old’s resilience and longevity has finally paid off.
Way back in 2003, when Newman was a rookie cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys, his three interceptions against the Washington Redskins netted him his first player of the week award. It took him 12 long years to replicate the feat.
Newman intercepted a first quarter pass from Derek Carr and then sealed Minnesota’s fifth-straight win with a leaping pick in the end zone during the fourth quarter. He became just the second cornerback ever to intercept two passes in a game at age 37 or older, joining Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.
With 39 career interceptions, Newman ranks third among active players—trailing only Charles Woodson (65) and DeAngelo Hall (43).
Head coach Mike Zimmer lured the 13-year NFL veteran to Minnesota this offseason to help stabilize the Vikings’ secondary.
“When we signed him, I felt like he would be a very solid, dependable guy that knows how to play, that does a lot of good things,” Zimmer said Monday. “Sometimes throughout the course of the year, these kind of games pop up, but I didn’t say, ‘Hey, he’s going to get a two-interception day or almost three.’ But he’s a great kid, he works really hard, he helps us in a number of ways.”
Zimmer was Newman’s defensive coordinator in Dallas back in 2003. The two later reconnected in Cincinnati, where Newman had a few of his best seasons. Now, a reunion in Minnesota is paying off for a third time.
Newman became the third straight Vikings player to win a player of the week award, joining Marcus Sherels (special teams, Week 8) and Linval Joseph (defense, Week 9).
After 10 weeks, Newman leads Minnesota with eight passes defended. The NFL record for passes defended in a season by a player age 37 in 13, set by Ronde Barber in 2012.