Currently several organizations give out NFL Defensive Player Awards that are listed in the "NFL Record and Fact Book" and "Total Football II: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League". The Associated Press has been giving the award since 1972. Pro Football Writers of America/Pro Football Weekly since 1970. The Sporting News has only announced winners for the last two seasons. Previously, the Newspaper Enterprise Association was the originator of the award in 1966, however it became defunct after 1997. Also going defunct was the United Press International AFC-NFC Defensive Player of the Year Awards that began in 1970.
Associated Press
The AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award is given by the Associated Press to the league's most outstanding defensive player at the end of every NFL season since 1971. Multiple-award winners include Lawrence Taylor, who won it three times, and Joe Greene, Mike Singletary, Bruce Smith, Reggie White, Ray Lewis, and J. J. Watt who each won it twice. Lawrence Taylor is the only player to win the award as a rookie (1981), and James Harrison is the only one to win it as an undrafted free agent (2008). Most recently, in 2012 and 2013, two second year players won this award: J. J. Watt and Luke Kuechly of the Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers.
AP NFL Defensive Players of the Year
Pro Football Writers of America
The Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) is the official voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve the public. The PFWA is made up of accredited writers who cover the NFL and the 32 teams on a daily basis.
From 1969 to 1991, the Pro Football Writers Association NFL Defensive Player of the Year was presented by Pro Football Weekly only. PFW and the Professional Football Writers of America combined their awards in 1992. In 2013 the award was presented by PFWA alone.
Pro Football Writers of America Defensive Player of the Year winners
Newspaper Enterprise Association
Beginning in 1966 the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) annually awarded the George S. Halas Trophy to the NFL's outstanding defensive player (Newspaper Enterprise Association Defensive Player of the Year Award). (The George S. Halas Trophy should not be confused with the Pro Football Writers Association's George S. Halas Courage Award or the National Football League's George Halas Trophy that is awarded to the NFC champion.) The winner was released via the NEA news service and also appeared in the World Almanac, which was an NEA publication. The award ran though 1996. It was considered one of the major awards and as included in the NFL Record and Fact Book and its winners still appear in the NFL's Official Encyclopedia, Total Football II. In his book, A Thinking Man's Guide to Pro Football, sportwriter Paul Zimmerman touted the NEA for its All-Pro team and its awards, since they involved polling the players, rather than being a sportswriter's poll like the AP, UPI, and the PFWA.
Newspaper Enterprise Association DPOY winners
Winners are awarded George S. Halas Trophy
1966â€" Larry Wilson, S, St. Louis Cardinals
1967â€" Deacon Jones, DE, Los Angeles Rams
1968â€" Deacon Jones, DE, Los Angeles Rams
1969â€" Dick Butkus, MLB, Chicago Bears
1970â€" Dick Butkus, MLB, Chicago Bears
1971â€" Carl Eller, DE, Minnesota Vikings
1972â€" Joe Greene, DT, Pittsburgh Steelers
1973â€" Alan Page, DT, Minnesota Vikings
1974â€" Joe Greene, DT, Pittsburgh Steelers
1975â€" Curley Culp, DT, Houston Oilers
1976â€" Jerry Sherk, DT, Cleveland Browns
1977â€" Harvey Martin, DE, Dallas Cowboys
1978â€" Randy Gradishar, ILB, Denver Broncos
1979â€" Lee Roy Selmon, DE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1980â€" Lester Hayes, CB, Oakland Raiders
1981â€" Joe Klecko, DE, New York Jets
1982â€" Mark Gastineau, DE, New York Jets
1983â€" Jack Lambert, MLB, Pittsburgh Steelers
1984â€" Mike Haynes, CB, Los Angeles Raiders
1985â€" Howie Long, DE, Los Angeles Raiders/ Andre Tippett, OLB, New England Patriots (tie)
1986â€" Lawrence Taylor, OLB, New York Giants
1987â€" Reggie White, DE, Philadelphia Eagles
1988â€" Mike Singletary, MLB, Chicago Bears
1989â€" Tim Harris, OLB, Green Bay Packers
1990â€" Bruce Smith, DE, Buffalo Bills
1991â€" Pat Swilling, OLB, New Orleans Saints
1992â€" Junior Seau, LB, San Diego Chargers
1993â€" Bruce Smith, DE, Buffalo Bills
1994â€" Deion Sanders, CB, San Francisco 49ers
1995â€" Bryce Paup, OLB, Buffalo Bills
1996â€" Kevin Greene, OLB, Carolina Panthers
1997â€" Dana Stubblefield, DT, San Francisco 49ers
Notes
The Newspaper Enterprise Association also awarded the Bert Bell Memorial Trophy to the Rookie of the Year and the Jim Thorpe Award to the NFL MVP. The driving force behind these awards was Murray Olderman who began the NEA All-pro team in 1954 and added more awards, including the Third Down Trophy that symbolized each team's MVP.
From 1970 to 1996, the United Press International awarded the NFC Player of the Year to players from the NFL's National Football Conference (NFC).
United Press International
- UPI AFL-AFC Player of the Year
- UPI NFC Player of the Year
NFC Defensive Player of the Year Winners
AFC Player of the Year winners
Football Digest
1992 - Junior Seau, ILB, San Diego Chargers
1993 - Deion Sanders, CB, Atlanta Falcons
1994 - Charles Haley, DE, Dallas Cowboys
1995 - Merton Hanks, S, San Francisco 49ers
1996 - Bruce Smith, DE, Buffalo Bills
1997 - Dana Stubblefield, DT, San Francisco 49ers
1998 - Junior Seau, ILB, San Diego Chargers
1999 - Warren Sapp, DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2000 - Ray Lewis, MLB, Baltimore Ravens
2001 - Brian Urlacher, MLB, Chicago Bears
2002 - Derrick Brooks, OLB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2003 - Ray Lewis, ILB, Baltimore Ravens
2004 - Ed Reed, S, Baltimore Ravens
Sporting News
2008 - Albert Haynesworth, DT, Tennessee Titans
2009 - Charles Woodson, CB, Green Bay Packers
2010 - Clay Matthews, LB, Green Bay Pacers
2011 - Jared Allen, DE, Minnesota Vikings
2012 - J. J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans
2013 - Luke Kuechly, LB, Carolina Panthers
2014 - J. J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans
Sports Illustrated
2008 - DeMarcus Ware, OLB, Dallas Cowboys
2009 - Darrelle Revis, CB, New York Jets
2010 - Julius Peppers, DE, Chicago Bear
2011 - Justin Smith, DE, San Francisco 49ers
2012 - J. J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans
2013 - Robert Quinn, DE, St. Louis Rams
2014 - J. J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans
Pro Football Focus
2011 - Justin Smith, DE, San Francisco 49ers
2012 - J. J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans
2013 - J. J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans
2014 - J. J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans
Kansas City Committee of 101
Began in 1969, the "101" is 101 of the top NFL sportwriters who have been voting on awards, such as the Defensive Player of each Conference since 1969.
KC Committee of 101 Defensive Player of the Year Award winners
See also
- All-Pro
- Defensive Player of the Year Award (NFC and AFC) (Kansas City Committee of 101 Awards) (since 1969)
- NEA NFL Defensive Players of the Year (defunct)
- UPI AFC and NFC Defensive Player of the Year Award (since 1975) (defunct ?)
- NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award
- NFL Most Valuable Player awards
- Bert Bell Award
- UPI AFL-AFC Player of the Year (defunct)
- UPI NFC Player of the Year (defunct)
References
- National Football League#Awards
External links
- NFL Defensive Player of the Year at CBSSportsline.com
- NFL Defensive Player of the Year at The Times Leader website
- [1] at NFL.com News