Ray Rice Nominated for FedEx Ground Award

The Baltimore Ravens' Ray Rice received his first nomination as the FedEx Ground Player of the week for his 13 carry, 166 yard and one TD performance in the team's resounding 48-3 victory over the Detroit Lions this past Sunday. Rice only played the first half of the game and accumulated his stats on only 13 carries for an average of over 12 yards per attempt!

The voting for the winners is entirely fan driven so click here to cast your vote in favor of our hometown hero.

See the entire press release after the 'Jump.'

Ray Rice was nominated for the Week 14 FedEx Ground Player of the Week award. This is his first nomination of the season. The FedEx Air & Ground awards are completely fan driven, so it’s up to Ravens fans to vote for Rice at www.NFL.com/FedEx. If Rice receives the most fan votes, FedEx will make a $1,000 donation in his name to the local Safe Kids USA coalition in Baltimore to help fund child and pedestrian safety. Depending on specific needs, the donation could go towards painting crosswalks, installing signs, landscaping near sidewalks and playgrounds, installing bike racks, and developing educational programs and events to teach kids about pedestrian safety. Voting ends at noon ET on Friday. The full NFL press release is pasted below. Let me know if you have questions or if you can get in a mention to help drive votes. Thanks, Dan Kurash 312-988-2314 SAINTS QB DREW BREES, REDSKINS QB JASON CAMPBELL & TEXANS QB MATT SCHAUB; 49ERS RB FRANK GORE, PACKERS RB RYAN GRANT & RAVENS RB RAY RICE CANDIDATES FOR FEDEX AIR & GROUND® NFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK HONORS Fans To Vote For Winners On NFL.com FedEx Delivers Pedestrian Safety Improvements On Behalf of Winning Players In Their Teams’ Markets Quarterbacks DREW BREES of the New Orleans Saints, JASON CAMPBELL of the Washington Redskins and MATT SCHAUB of the Houston Texans are the finalists for the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week honors for games played on December 10 - 14, while running backs FRANK GORE of the San Francisco 49ers, RYAN GRANT of the Green Bay Packers and RAY RICE of the Baltimore Ravens are the finalists for the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week, the NFL announced today. Fans can vote for one player in each category on NFL.com/FedEx from 9 a.m. EST on Tuesday through noon EST on Friday to determine the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week. The winners will be announced Friday evening on NFL.com. Fans will be voting for more than their favorite player. As part of the Air & Ground program, FedEx continues its support of Safe Kids USA – a national non-profit organization that works to prevent accidental injury among children – by making weekly $1,000 donations in the winning players’ names. The funding, allocated to local Safe Kids coalitions in that team’s city, is used for pedestrian safety improvements throughout the year, from upgraded crosswalks and street signage to traffic barriers and educational training. For a second season, fans can tune into the "FedEx Air & Ground Lowdown" posted exclusively on NFL.com/FedEx starting Wednesday mornings. The show examines the nominees in the Air & Ground categories through exclusive video highlights and expert analysis. NFL Network’s RICH EISEN and MARSHALL FAULK host the weekly five-minute show. A closer look at the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week finalists: • New Orleans’ DREW BREES threw three touchdowns completing 31 of 40 passes for 296 yards in the Saints’ 26-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons. • Washington’s JASON CAMPBELL completed 16 of 28 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Redskins’ 34-13 win over the Oakland Raiders. • Houston’s MATT SCHAUB completed 29 of 39 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in the Texans’ 34- 7 win over the Seattle Seahawks. A closer look at the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week finalists: • San Francisco’s FRANK GORE carried the ball 25 times for 167 yards and a touchdown in the 49ers' 24-9 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football. • Green Bay’s RYAN GRANT rushed 20 times for 137 yards and two touchdowns in the Packers’ 21-14 win over the Chicago Bears. • Baltimore’s RAY RICE had 13 carries for 166 yards and one touchdown in the Ravens’ 48-3 win over the Detroit Lions. As the Official Delivery Service Sponsor of the NFL, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl, FedEx understands the need for a winning game plan, and created the Air & Ground program to highlight superior on-field performance while delivering safe kids off the field. Because FedEx has thousands of delivery trucks out on the roads each day, the company is committed to funding pedestrian safety improvements through its 10-year partnership with Safe Kids USA. # # #