In a week where the Chiefs needed him most, 
Charles was handed the ball in the backfield, cut off right tackle and used a burst of speed to run smack through the middle of the Rams secondary. It was the longest run of Charles’ NFL career, 80 yards.
The damage was already done before Ron Bartell could close his pursuit angle. Charles’ 80-yarder set
Charles helped Kansas City answer its most disappointing performance of the season – a 31-0 whitewashing in San Diego – with a critical December road victory. The surging Chargers were kept in second place for another week and eliminated from postseason competition just seven days later.
Seven weeks before Kansas City regained possession of the Governor’s Cup, a winless Buffalo team was giving the Chiefs all they could handle on a frustrating Halloween at Arrowhead. With the game tied 10-10 and less than a minute to play, Buffalo crossed mid-field and looked destined for a last-second field goal try.
When the ball reached Kansas City’s 41-yard line, rookie
Charles’ 80-yard run and Berry’s late-game INT were pivotal moments in the AFC West crown returning to Kansas City. Both players delivered at critical times throughout the 2010 season and earned Pro Bowl recognition for their efforts.
As a reward for their game-changing performances, teammates voted Charles and Berry the recipients of two prestigious team awards.
Charles was named the club’s Derrick Thomas Award (MVP) winner for the second straight season, while Berry earned the team’s Mack Lee Hill Award (Rookie of the Year).
The Derrick Thomas Award is the latest installment on a mantle full of hardware for Charles. After finishing second in the NFL with 1,935 yards from scrimmage and falling just short of Jim Brown’s NFL record for yards per carry (two-hundredths of a yard), Charles earned first-team All-Pro honors from Pro Football Weekly/PFWA and the Associated Press as well as the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Year Award.
He now becomes the fourth player in franchise history to win MVP honors in back-to-back seasons, joining Priest Holmes (2001-02), Trent Green (2003-04) and Larry Johnson (2005-06). No player has ever won the award three times.
As the 2010 Mack Lee Hill Award winner, Berry joins a long list of revered Chiefs that have won the rookie honor.
The first-round pick recorded a team-high four INTs last season and finished second on the team with 126 tackles to become the first Chiefs rookie since Derrick Thomas to earn a Pro Bowl invitation. He was also the first rookie to lead the team in INTs since Dale Carter (’92) and earned NFL All-Rookie honors from Pro Football Weekly/PFWA and The Sporting News.
Both awards will be presented at the 41st annual 101 Awards Banquet on Saturday, March 5th at the Westin Crown Center. Head Coach Todd Haley will receive the 101 AFC Coach of the Year Award that evening as well. In addition, Clay Matthews, Troy Polamalu, Michael Vick, Tom Brady and Mike Smith will be recognized as 101 Award winners during the event.
Tickets and sponsorships to the 101 Banquet are available by calling Premier Sports Management at (913) 681-6990.
Derrick Thomas Award
For the past 29 years, the Chiefs have upheld the tradition of selecting the club’s most valuable player. Named in honor of the late Derrick Thomas, the Chiefs custom is especially meaningful for its recipients because it is selected by a vote of its peers. Thomas was the heart and soul of the Kansas City defense from 1989-99 and will always be regarded as one of the best linebackers to ever play the game.
| 1979 | S Gary Barbaro | 1995 | RB Marcus Allen |
| 1980 | DE Art Still | 1996 | S Mark Collins |
| 1981 | RB Joe Delaney | 1997 | WR Andre Rison |
| 1982 | CB Gary Green | 1998 | G/T Glenn Parker |
| 1983 | QB Bill Kenney | 1999 | LB Marvcus Patton |
| 1984 | DE Art Still | 2000 | WR Derrick Alexander |
| 1985 | S Lloyd Burruss | 2001 | RB Priest Holmes |
| 1986 | CB Albert Lewis | 2002 | RB Priest Holmes |
| 1987 | WR Carlos Carson | 2003 | QB Trent Green |
| 1988 | S Deron Cherry | 2004 | QB Trent Green |
| 1989 | RB Christian Okoye | 2005 | RB Larry Johnson |
| 1990 | QB Steve DeBerg | 2006 | RB Larry Johnson |
| 1991 | LB Derrick Thomas | 2007 | DE Jared Allen |
| 1992 | DE Neil Smith | 2008 | TE Tony Gonzalez |
| 1993 | RB Marcus Allen | 2009 | RB Jamaal Charles |
| 1994 | LB Derrick Thomas | 2010 | RB Jamaal Charles |
Mack Lee Hill Award
Each year since 1966, Chiefs players have selected a recipient for the Mack Lee Hill Award. It is a tribute to the late Mack Lee Hill, a great running back who played as much with his heart as he did his driving legs. The award is presented annually to the Chiefs rookie or first year player who, as the inscription on the trophy reads - “best exemplifies the spirit of the late Mack Lee Hill … the man with the giant heart and the quiet way.”
| 1966 | RB Mike Garrett | 1989 | LB Derrick Thomas |
| 1967 | K Jan Stenerud | 1990 | LB Percy Snow |
| 1968 | RB Robert Holmes | 1991 | LB Tracy Simien |
| 1969 | CB Jim Marsalis | 1992 | WR Willie Davis |
| 1970 | C Jack Rudnay | 1993 | G Will Shields |
| 1971 | WR Elmo Wright | 1994 | WR Lake Dawson |
| 1972 | WR Larry Marshall | 1995 | WR Tamarick Vanover |
| 1973 | TE Gary Butler | 1996 | S Reggie Tongue |
| 1974 | RB Woody Green | 1997 | TE Tony Gonzalez |
| 1975 | TE Walter White | 1998 | T Victor Riley |
| 1976 | S Gary Barbaro | 1999 | LB Mike Maslowski |
| 1977 | CB Gary Green | 2000 | S Greg Wesley |
| 1978 | NT Don Parrish | 2001 | DT Eric Downing |
| 1979 | P Bob Grupp | 2002 | LB Scott Fujita |
| 1980 | CB Eric Harris | 2003 | LB Kawika Mitchell |
| 1981 | S Lloyd Burruss | DE Jimmy Wilkerson | |
| 1982 | C Les Studdard | 2004 | DE Jared Allen |
| 1983 | T David Lutz | 2005 | LB |
| 1984 | CB Kevin Ross | 2006 | DE |
| 1985 | RB Jeff Smith | 2007 | WR |
| 1986 | LB Dino Hackett | 2008 | CB |
| 1987 | RB Christian Okoye | 2009 | K |
| 1988 | RB James Saxon | 2010 | S Eric Berry |
