PFWA NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
From 1969 to 1991, the Defensive of the Year award was presented by Pro Football Weekly only. PFW and the Pro Football Writers of America combined their awards in 1992. From 2013 to present the awards were presented by PFWA alone.
| Season | Player | Team | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Bobby Bell | Kansas City Chiefs | Outside linebacker | Minnesota |
| 1970 | Dick Butkus | Chicago Bears | Middle linebacker | Illinois |
| 1971 | Alan Page | Minnesota Vikings | Defensive tackle | Notre Dame |
| 1972 | Joe Greene | Pittsburgh Steelers | Defensive tackle | North Texas State |
| 1973 | Alan Page | Minnesota Vikings | Defensive tackle | Notre Dame |
| 1974 | Joe Greene | Pittsburgh Steelers | Defensive tackle | North Texas Stats |
| 1975 | Jack Ham | Pittsburgh Steelers | Outside linebacker | Penn State |
| 1976 | Jack Lambert | Pittsburgh Steelers | Middle linebacker | Kent State |
| 1977 | Harvey Martin | Dallas Cowboys | Defensive end | North Texas Stats |
| 1978 | Randy Gradishar | Denver Broncos | Inside linebacker | Ohio State |
| 1979 | Lee Roy Selmon | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Defensive end | Oklahoma |
| 1980 | Lester Hayes | Oakland Raiders | Cornerback | Texas A&M |
| 1981 | Joe Klecko | New York Jets | Defensive end | Temple |
| 1982 | Dan Hampton | Chicago Bears | Defensive tackle | Arkansas |
| 1983 | Bob Baumhower | Miami Dolphins | Defensive tackle | Alabama |
| 1984 | Kenny Easley | Seattle Seahawks | Safety | UCLA |
| 1985 | Mike Singletary | Chicago Bears | Middle linebacker | Baylor |
| 1986 | Lawrence Taylor | New York Giants | Outside linebacker | North Carolina |
| 1987 | Reggie White | Philadelphia Eagles | Defensive end | Tennessee |
| 1988 | Mike Singletary | Chicago Bears | Middle linebacker | Baylor |
| 1989 | Keith Millard | Minnesota Vikings | Defensive tackle | Washington State |
| 1990 | Bruce Smith | Buffalo Bills | Defensive end | Virginia Tech |
| 1991 | Reggie White | Philadelphia Eagles | Defensive end | Tennessee |
| 1992 | Cortez Kennedy | Seattle Seahawks | Defensive tackle | Miami, FL |
| 1993 | Bruce Smith | Buffalo Bills | Defensive end | Virginia Tech |
| 1994 | Deion Sanders | San Francisco 49ers | Cornerback | Florida State |
| 1995 | Bryce Paup | Buffalo Bills | Outside linebacker | Northern Iowa |
| 1996 | Bruce Smith | Buffalo Bills | Defensive end | Virginia Tech |
| 1997 | Dana Stubblefield | San Francisco 49ers | Defensive tackle | Kansas |
| 1998 | Reggie White | Green Bay Packers | Defensive end | Tennessee |
| 1999 | Warren Sapp | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Defensive tackle | Miami, FL |
| 2000 | Ray Lewis | Baltimore Ravens | Middle linebacker | Miami, FL |
| 2001 | Michael Strahan | New York Giants | Defensive end | Texas Southern |
| 2002 | Derrick Brooks | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Outside linebacker | Florida State |
| 2003 | Ray Lewis | Baltimore Ravens | Middle linebacker | Miami, FL |
| 2004 | Ed Reed | Baltimore Ravens | Safety | Miami, FL |
| 2005 | Brian Urlacher | Chicago Bears | Middle linebacker | New Mexico |
| 2006 | Jason Taylor | Miami Dolphins | Defensive end | Akron |
| 2007 | Bob Sanders | Indianapolis Colts | Safety | Iowa |
| 2008 | James Harrison | Pittsburgh Steelers | Outside linebacker | Kent State |
| 2009 | Charles Woodson | Green Bay Packers | Cornerback | Michigan |
| 2010 | Clay Matthews | Green Bay Packers | Linebacker | USC |
| 2011 | Terrell Suggs | Baltimore Ravens | Outside linebacker | Arizona State |
| 2012 | J. J. Watt | Houston Texans | Defensive end | Wisconsin |
| 2013 | Robert Quinn | St. Louis Rams | Defensive end | North Carolina |
| 2014 | J. J. Watt | Houston Texans | Defensive end | Wisconsin |
| 2015 | J. J. Watt | Houston Texans | Defensive end | Wisconsin |
| 2016 | Khalil Mack | Oakland Raiders | Defensive end | Buffalo |
| 2017 | Calais Campbell | Jacksonville Jaguars | Defensive end | Miami |
| 2018 | Aaron Donald | Los Angeles Rams | Defensive tackle | Pittsburgh |
| 2019 | Stephon Gilmore | New England Patriots | Cornerback | South Carolina |
| 2020 | Aaron Donald | Los Angeles Rams | Defensive tackle | Pittsburgh |
| 2021 | T. J. Watt | Pittsburgh Steelers | Outside linebacker | Wisconsin |
See also
- All-Pro
- Defensive Player of the Year Award (NFC and AFC) (Kansas City Committee of 101 Awards) (since 1969)
- Newspaper Enterprise Association NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award (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
- "Defensive Player of the Year". profootballwriters.org. Retrieved January 31, 2015.