In order for fans to rubber stamp his Rookie of the Year nod, Russell Wilson plans on taking an additional measure. Having never been told his given name until he was a teen, Wilson will pursue legally changing his first name to ROY. All the letters will be uppercase to keep the correlation to the coveted Rookie of the Year award.

“Some fans still aren’t sold,” said Wilson. “I need to prove to them that not only does my play distinguish me from the rest, but my name as well. I was never attached to ‘Russell’ anyway.”

When asked why he left out the “t” for “the” in “Rookie of the Year,” Wilson smiled.

“Ever heard of a guy named Roty? Neither have I.”

John Jenzeh