Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o were honored as the NFL and college players of the year by the Maxwell Football Club on Friday.

Teo also won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the collegiate defensive player of the year.

"I think if our team didn't have the season that we did, I definitely wouldn't be sitting here," Te'o said.

Other award winners were: Baltimore Ravens executive Ozzie Newsome for his contributions to football; Penn State's Bill O'Brien, collegiate coach of the year; and Indianapolis Colts coach and Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, NFL coach of the year.

Arians led the Colts to nine wins last season while he filled in as head coach for Pagano, who was battling cancer. Arians, the Colts' offensive coordinator last year, left after the season to take the head-coaching job with the Cardinals.

"We made history," Pagano said. "When I called him and told him my circumstances, he was a little taken aback, obviously. He said, 'I got your back and take care of everything when you're away.'"

Pagano returned near the end of the regular season and guided the Colts into the playoffs.

"We said we were going to live in vision and not circumstances, and we were going to go out and play every game 60 minutes, one play at a time, don't judge, don't look at the scoreboard and we'll see what happens," Pagano said.