Packers Wiki

Want adless article browsing? Create an account – it's free and easy!

READ MORE

Packers Wiki

The 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.

Two members of the Green Bay Packers have been honored with the award. In 1998, defensive end Reggie White won the award for a second time in his final season with the team. The most recent winner is cornerback Charles Woodson, who had nine interceptions and three touchdown runbacks for the Packers to take the 2009 honor.

Multiple-award winners include Lawrence Taylor, J.J. Watt, and Aaron Donald who won it three times each, and Joe Greene, Mike Singletary, Bruce Smith, Reggie White, and Ray Lewis who each won it twice. Lawrence Taylor is the only player to win the award as a rookie (1981).

Winners

NFL Defensive Player of the Year winners
Presented by the Associated Press
Year No. Player of the Year Pos Team G Tkl Sck Int Yds TD FF FR Yds
1971 Alan Page DT Minnesota Vikings 14 -- -- 0 0 0 -- 3 8
1972 Joe Greene DT Pittsburgh Steelers 14 -- -- 0 0 0 -- 1 0
1973 Dick Anderson S Miami Dolphins 14 -- -- 8 163 2 -- 0 0
1974 Joe Greene DT Pittsburgh Steelers 14 -- -- 1 26 0 -- 4 7
1975 Mel Blount CB Pittsburgh Steelers 14 -- -- 11 121 0 -- 0 0
1976 Jack Lambert MLB Pittsburgh Steelers 14 -- -- 2 32 0 -- 8 36
1977 Harvey Martin DE Dallas Cowboys 14 -- -- 0 0 0 -- 2 7
1978 Randy Gradishar OLB Denver Broncos 14 -- -- 4 19 0 -- 2 30
1979 Lee Roy Selmon DE Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16 -- -- 0 0 0 -- 2 29
1980 Lester Hayes CB Oakland Raiders 16 -- -- 13 273 1 -- 2 0
1981 Lawrence Taylor OLB New York Giants 16 -- -- 1 1 0 -- 1 4
1982 Lawrence Taylor OLB New York Giants 9 -- 7.5 1 97 1 -- 0 0
1983 Doug Betters DE Miami Dolphins 16 -- 16.0 0 0 0 -- 4 0
1984 Kenny Easley S Seattle Seahawks 16 -- 0.0 10 126 2 -- 1 0
1985 Mike Singletary MLB Chicago Bears 16 -- 3.0 1 23 0 -- 3 11
1986 Lawrence Taylor OLB New York Giants 16 -- 20.5 0 0 0 -- 0 0
1987 Reggie White DE Philadelphia Eagles 12 76 21.0 0 0 0 4 1 70
1988 Mike Singletary MLB Chicago Bears 16 -- 1.0 1 13 0 -- 1 4
1989 Keith Millard DT Minnesota Vikings 16 -- 18.0 1 48 0 0 1 31
1990 Bruce Smith DE Buffalo Bills 16 101 19.0 0 0 0 4 0 0
1991 Pat Swilling OLB New Orleans Saints 16 60 17.0 1 39 1 6 1 5
1992 Cortez Kennedy DT Seattle Seahawks 16 92 14.0 0 0 0 4 1 19
1993 Rod Woodson CB Pittsburgh Steelers 16 95 2.0 8 138 1 2 1 0
1994 Deion Sanders CB San Francisco 49ers 14 34 0.0 6 303 3 0 1 0
1995 Bryce Paup OLB Buffalo Bills 15 70 17.5 2 0 0 3 1 0
1996 Bruce Smith DE Buffalo Bills 16 69 13.5 0 0 0 5 1 0
1997 Dana Stubblefield DT San Francisco 49ers 16 48 15.0 0 0 0 3 0 0
1998 Reggie White DE Green Bay Packers 16 33 16.0 0 0 0 4 0 0
1999 Warren Sapp DT Tampa Bay Buccaneers 15 27 12.5 0 0 0 4 2 0
2000 Ray Lewis MLB Baltimore Ravens 16 107 3.0 2 1 0 0 3 0
2001 Michael Strahan DE New York Giants 16 62 22.5 0 0 0 6 1 13
2002 Derrick Brooks OLB Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16 88 1.0 5 218 3 1 1 11
2003 Ray Lewis MLB Baltimore Ravens 16 121 1.5 6 99 1 2 2 1
2004 Ed Reed S Baltimore Ravens 16 64 2.0 9 358 1 3 2 44
2005 Brian Urlacher MLB Chicago Bears 16 98 6.0 0 0 0 1 1 0
2006 Jason Taylor DE Miami Dolphins 16 41 13.5 2 71 2 9 2 33
2007 Bob Sanders S Indianapolis Colts 15 71 3.5 2 32 0 0 1 25
2008 James Harrison OLB Pittsburgh Steelers 15 59 16.0 1 33 0 7 0 0
2009 Charles Woodson CB Green Bay Packers 16 65 2.0 9 179 3 4 0 0
2010 Troy Polamalu S Pittsburgh Steelers 14 49 1.0 7 101 1 1 1 0
2011 Terrell Suggs OLB Baltimore Ravens 16 70 14.0 2 9 0 7 0 0
2012 J.J. Watt DE Houston Texans 16 81 20.5 0 0 0 4 2 7
2013 Luke Kuechly MLB Carolina Panthers 16 156 2.0 4 33 0 0 0 0
2014 J.J. Watt DE Houston Texans 16 78 20.5 1 80 1 4 5 59
2015 J.J. Watt DE Houston Texans 16 76 17.5 0 0 0 3 1 0
2016 Khalil Mack DE Oakland Raiders 16 73 11.0 1 6 1 5 3 1
2017 Aaron Donald DT Los Angeles Rams 14 41 11.0 0 0 0 5 1 0
2018 Aaron Donald DT Los Angeles Rams 16 59 20.5 0 0 0 4 2 0

Comparison

By player

Multiple-award winners include Lawrence Taylor, J.J. Watt, and Aaron Donald who won it three times each, and Joe Greene, Mike Singletary, Bruce Smith, Reggie White, and Ray Lewis, who each won it twice. Lawrence Taylor is the only player to win the award as a rookie (1981).

National Football League Defensive Player of the Year Award winners
• Multiple winners by player •
Tier No. Player of the Year Pos Team Seasons Awards
1st Lawrence Taylor OLB New York Giants 1981 • 1982 • 1986 3
J.J. Watt DE Houston Texans 2012 • 2014 • 2015
Aaron Donald DT Los Angeles Rams 2017 • 2018 • 2020
2nd Joe Greene DT Pittsburgh Steelers 1972 • 1974 2
Mike Singletary MLB Chicago Bears 1985 • 1988
Bruce Smith DE Buffalo Bills 1990 • 1995

Reggie White DE Philadelphia Eagles
Green Bay Packers
1987 • 1998
Ray Lewis MLB Baltimore Ravens 2000 • 2003

See also

References