The 2012 Washington Redskins season will likely go down as one of the best turnaround seasons in franchise history.
In-season, the team surged from a 3-6 start to a 10-6 finish, putting the entire NFL on notice and capturing its first NFC East Championship since 1999.
The 10 victories were twice as many as the year before, and marked the first five-win improvement over the previous season in a non-strike year since the 1954-55 season, a span of almost 60 years.
Along the way, the Washington Redskins needed contributions from every member of the 53-man roster, but relied heavily on the contributions of three individuals, who were honored at the 2013 Welcome Home Luncheon as the Redskins 2012 Players of the Year.
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Bobby Mitchell Offensive Player of the Year: 
Despite a Herculean effort by Pro Bowl left tackle
Passing for a cool 3,200 yards, Griffin III revitalized a downfield passing game not seen in Washington in more than two decades.
On top of that, his 20:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio was among the best in the NFL, and his 815 rushing yards led all NFL quarterbacks.
Redskins receiver great Charley Taylor presented the award to Griffin III, connecting two of the most dynamic playmakers from their respective football generations.
While Griffin III was honored to accept the award, he noted that no awards are won on their own and deflected praise to the people around him that help him succeed.
"I want to thank these three guys (owner Daniel M. Snyder, general manager Bruce Allen and head coach Mike Shanahan) for trusting me as your quarterback and going out and giveing up all those [draft] picks for me. That really means something to me and I want to thank you guys for that.
Then announcing that it was "enough about him," Griffin III personally thanked the military for their service.
"Thank you guys," he said, drawing loud applause. "We salute you guys."
Then he turned his attention to teammates, starting with his offensive linemen and moving on to receivers, running backs and coaches.
He named each player in turn, right down to offensive assistant Aubrey Pleasant, who started after the season last spring.
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Sam Huff Defensive Player of the Year:
If the average NFL career lasts just three seasons, Fletcher has just finished his fifth NFL career and rolls into his sixth with little sign of slowing down.
Fletcher finished his 15th NFL season with a team leading 188 tackles, three sacks, six quarterback hits, a career-best five interceptions, 14 passes defensed and three forced fumbles.
As he has throughout his career, Fletcher battled injuries throughout the season, practicing little during the week and turning in gritty performances critical to the team’s playoff run.
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Mark Moseley Special Teams Player of the Year:
Forbath was signed off of a Tuesday tryout before the Week 6 contest against the Minnesota Vikings, beating out a host of bigger-name kickers brought in to replace Billy Cundiff.
Under Shanahan, Forbath marked the fifth kicker in three seasons and a totally unknown commodity.
After practice that day, head coach Mike Shanahan expressed optimism in the signing, but wryly noted that he would like to have his kicker in place for “the next 15 years.”
If the next 14 years are anything like the first, Shanahan will have called his shot.
In his first attempt, Forbath drilled a 50-yard field goal at FedExField. He would go on to hit his next 16 kicks, setting an NFL record for consecutive field goals to start a career.
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Community Service Award:
Morgan grew up in Southeast D.C. and understands the strengths and needs of the community. As Redskins Nation embraced the new-look football team, Morgan worked closely with the Redskins Charitable Foundation and his own foundation to meet those needs.
Dedicating every off-day of the NFL calendar to work in the community, the soft-spoken receiver showed the power of action the impact of
Named the team’s 2012 Walter Payton Man of the Year and honored with Joshua Morgan Day in Washington D.C. on June 20, by city council decree, Morgan is a pillar in the community, and the first D.C. resident to win the award.
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USAA Salute To Service Award:
Earlier this offseason, he was promoted to Lieutenant in the United States Navy in recognition for his offseason recruiting and goodwill tours with the military.
This followed up three years of active duty before starting his career with the New England Patriots. His 5.4 yards per carry career average at the US Naval Academy is sixth-best in program history.
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