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AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year

American football award given by the Associated Press

American football award given by the Associated Press

FieldValue
nameAP NFL Defensive Player of the Year
imagePatrick Surtain 2021 (51650411936) (cropped).jpg
captionDenver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II, 2024 recipient
givenforDefensive player of the year in the NFL
presenterAssociated Press
first1971
mostwinsLawrence Taylor
J. J. Watt
Aaron Donald
(3 each)
mostrecentPatrick Surtain II
url

J. J. Watt Aaron Donald (3 each)

The AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) is an annual award presented by the Associated Press (AP) to the defensive player in the National Football League (NFL) deemed to have had the most outstanding season. It has been awarded since 1971. The winner is decided by votes from a panel of 50 AP sportswriters. Since 2011, the award has been presented at the annual NFL Honors ceremony the day before the Super Bowl, along with other AP awards, such as the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year award, AP NFL Most Valuable Player award, and AP NFL Rookie of the Year award. The most recent winner is cornerback Patrick Surtain II of the Denver Broncos.

Lawrence Taylor, J. J. Watt, and Aaron Donald are the only three-time winners of the award. Joe Greene, Ray Lewis, Mike Singletary, Bruce Smith, and Reggie White have each won it twice. Taylor is the only player to win the award as a rookie, doing so in 1981. In 2008, James Harrison became the only undrafted free agent to win the award. White is the only player to win the award with two different teams, winning in 1987 with the Philadelphia Eagles and again with the Green Bay Packers in 1998. J. J. Watt is the only player to win the award unanimously, receiving 50 out of 50 first place votes in 2014. He was also a near-unanimous winner in 2012 as he earned 49 out of 50 votes.

As of the end of the 2024 NFL season, linebackers have won the award seventeen times, more than any other position. A defensive end has won fifteen times, followed by ten defensive tackles, seven cornerbacks, and five safeties. Only two winners of the AP Defensive Player of the Year award have also won the AP's Most Valuable Player award for the same season: defensive tackle Alan Page in 1971 for the Minnesota Vikings and linebacker Lawrence Taylor in 1986 for the New York Giants.

Winners

SeasonPlayerPositionTeam
Alan PageDTMinnesota
Joe GreeneDTPittsburgh
Dick AndersonSMiami
Joe GreeneDTPittsburgh
Mel BlountCBPittsburgh
Jack LambertLBPittsburgh
Harvey MartinDEDallas
Randy GradisharLBDenver
Lee Roy SelmonDETampa Bay
Lester HayesCBOakland
Lawrence TaylorLBNY Giants
Lawrence TaylorLBNY Giants
Doug BettersDEMiami
Kenny EasleySSeattle
Mike SingletaryLBChicago
Lawrence TaylorLBNY Giants
Reggie WhiteDEPhiladelphia
Mike SingletaryLBChicago
Keith MillardDTMinnesota
Bruce SmithDEBuffalo
Pat SwillingLBNew Orleans
Cortez KennedyDTSeattle
Rod WoodsonCBPittsburgh
Deion SandersCBSan Francisco
Bryce PaupLBBuffalo
Bruce SmithDEBuffalo
Dana StubblefieldDTSan Francisco
Reggie WhiteDEGreen Bay
Warren SappDTTampa Bay
Ray LewisLBBaltimore
Michael StrahanDENY Giants
Derrick BrooksLBTampa Bay
Ray LewisLBBaltimore
Ed ReedSBaltimore
Brian UrlacherLBChicago
Jason TaylorDEMiami
Bob SandersSIndianapolis
James HarrisonLBPittsburgh
Charles WoodsonCBGreen Bay
Troy PolamaluSPittsburgh
Terrell SuggsLBBaltimore
J. J. WattDEHouston
Luke KuechlyLBCarolina
J. J. WattDEHouston
J. J. WattDEHouston
Khalil MackDEOakland
Aaron DonaldDTLA Rams
Aaron DonaldDTLA Rams
Stephon GilmoreCBNew England
Aaron DonaldDTLA Rams
T. J. WattLBPittsburgh
Nick BosaDESan Francisco
Myles GarrettDECleveland
Patrick Surtain IICBDenver

Multiple-time winners

PlayerAwardsPositionTeamSeasonsLawrence TaylorJ. J. WattAaron DonaldMike Singletary
3LinebackerNew York Giants1981, 1982, 1986
Defensive endHouston Texans2012, 2014, 2015
Defensive tackleLos Angeles Rams2017, 2018, 2020
2Defensive tacklePittsburgh Steelers1972, 1974
LinebackerChicago Bears1985, 1988
Defensive endBuffalo Bills1990, 1996
Defensive endPhiladelphia Eagles
Green Bay Packers1987, 1998
LinebackerBaltimore Ravens2000, 2003

References

;General

;Footnotes

References

  1. (February 6, 2016). "J.J Watt wins third Defensive Player of Year award". NFL.
  2. (2007). "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game". W. W. Norton & Company.
  3. (January 8, 2017). "Ageless Steelers star James Harrison strives to be like his father". NFL.com.
  4. (December 30, 2014). "Who deserves the NFL MVP award?". National Football Post.
  5. (January 7, 1972). "Alan Page 'Hurrys' to Defensive Award". Daytona Beach Morning Journal.
  6. (January 5, 1973). "Joe Greene Defensive Player of the Year". The Evening News.
  7. (January 4, 1974). "Buffalo's Simpson, Dolphins' Anderson Named Top Gridders". Herald-Journal.
  8. (January 8, 1975). "Defensive Honor Goes To 'Mean' Joe Greene". Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
  9. (January 9, 1976). "Pittsburgh's Mel Blount Is Top Player". Gettysburg Times.
  10. (December 29, 1976). "Lambert defense winner". The Tuscaloosa News.
  11. (January 5, 1978). "Martin Named As Top Defensive Player". The Times-News.
  12. (January 12, 1979). "Broncos' Gradishar Wins Award". Lakeland Ledger.
  13. (December 21, 1979). "Lee Roy Selmon of Tampa defensive player of year". The Day.
  14. (January 8, 1981). "Lester Hayes picks off defensive player award". Beaver County Times.
  15. (January 8, 1982). "Taylor 1st rookie to be Defensive Player of Year". The Evening Independent.
  16. (January 8, 1983). "Defensive player honors go to Taylor once more". The Spokesman-Review.
  17. (December 23, 1983). "Miami's Betters Named Defensive Player Of Year". Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
  18. (December 19, 1984). "Seahawks' Easley top defender". The Sumter Daily Item.
  19. (December 31, 1985). "Chicago's Singletary gets defensive honor". The Free Lance-Star.
  20. (December 31, 1986). "Taylor sweeps post-season honors". The Free Lance-Star.
  21. (December 31, 1987). "White named top defensive player". The Hour.
  22. (December 29, 1988). "Top defensive player: Singletary". Gettysburg Times.
  23. (December 30, 1989). "Millard defensive player of year". The Times-News.
  24. (January 10, 1991). "Buffalo's Bruce Smith honored". Ellensburg Daily Record.
  25. (December 30, 1991). "Saints' Swilling Defensive Player of the Year". Kingman Daily Miner.
  26. (January 6, 1993). "Seattle tackle named defensive player of year". The Times-News.
  27. (January 7, 1994). "Steelers' Woodson top defensive player". The Southeast Missourian.
  28. (December 29, 1994). "Sanders are players of the year". The Tuscaloosa News.
  29. (December 29, 1995). "Bills' Paup garners defensive player of year award". The Victoria Advocate.
  30. (December 30, 1996). "Consolation for Smith: Bills star voted Defensive Player of Year". Sun Journal.
  31. (December 26, 1997). "Stubblefield is defensive player of year". Lodi News-Sentinel.
  32. (January 7, 1999). "White named defensive player of year". Herald-Journal.
  33. (January 14, 2000). "Bucs' Sapp named NFL's top defensive player". The Southeast Missourian.
  34. (January 3, 2001). "Ravens' Lewis named defensive player of the year". Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
  35. (January 17, 2002). "Sackmaster Strahan wins Defensive Player award". Kingman Daily Miner.
  36. (January 9, 2003). "Bucs' linebacker is NFL Defensive Player of the Year". The Argus-Press.
  37. (January 3, 2001). "Ray Lewis goes from murder suspect to NFL's Defensive Player of Year". Associated Press.
  38. (January 1, 2004). "Ravens Lewis' win player of the year awards". Boca Raton News.
  39. (January 7, 2005). "First safety in 20 years to win defensive award". Associated Press.
  40. (January 7, 2005). "First safety in 20 years to win defensive award". Associated Press.
  41. (January 6, 2006). "Urlacher named AP Defensive Player of the Year". Associated Press.
  42. (January 6, 2006). "Urlacher named AP Defensive Player of the Year". Associated Press.
  43. Wilner, Barry. (January 5, 2007). "Taylor takes home AP Defensive Player of the Year honor". Associated Press.
  44. Wilner, Barry. (January 5, 2007). "Taylor takes home AP Defensive Player of the Year honor". Associated Press.
  45. (January 7, 2008). "AP picks Colts' Sanders as top defensive player". Associated Press.
  46. (January 7, 2008). "AP picks Colts' Sanders as top defensive player". Associated Press.
  47. Wilner, Barry. (January 5, 2009). "Steelers' Harrison is AP Defensive Player of Year". Associated Press.
  48. (January 5, 2009). "Harrison has death grip on defensive award". Associated Press.
  49. (January 12, 2010). "CB Woodson voted AP's top defensive player". Associated Press.
  50. (January 12, 2010). "CB Woodson voted AP's top defensive player". Associated Press.
  51. (January 31, 2011). "Steelers' Polamalu voted AP's NFL Defensive Player of the Year". National Football League.
  52. (February 4, 2012). "Terrell Suggs selected AP Defensive Player of the Year". The Baltimore Sun.
  53. (February 2, 2013). "J.J. Watt near unanimous Defensive Player of the Year". National Football League.
  54. (February 1, 2014). "Luke Kuechly wins 2013 Defensive Player of the Year". CBS Sports.
  55. (January 31, 2015). "J.J. Watt is first-ever unanimous NFL Defensive Player of the Year". CBS Sports.
  56. (February 7, 2016). "J.J. Watt wins third Defensive Player of the Year award, calls out doubters". CBS Sports.
  57. (February 4, 2017). "Raiders' Khalil Mack named NFL defensive player of the year". USA Today.
  58. (February 3, 2018). "Aaron Donald named NFL Defensive Player of the Year". NFL.com.
  59. "Complete list of 'NFL Honors' award winners".
  60. Patra, Kevin. (February 2, 2019). "Aaron Donald named 2018 Defensive Player of Year".
  61. Shook, Nick. (February 1, 2020). "Stephon Gilmore named 2019 Defensive Player of Year".
  62. Patra, Kevin. (February 6, 2021). "Rams DT Aaron Donald wins AP Defensive Player of the Year for third time".
  63. Patra, Kevin. (February 10, 2022). "Steelers pass rusher T.J. Watt named 2021 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year".
  64. Shook, Nick. (February 9, 2023). "Niners DE Nick Bosa named AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year".
  65. Shook, Nick. (February 8, 2024). "Browns DE Myles Garrett named AP 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year".
  66. Edholm, Eric. (2025-02-06). "Broncos CB Pat Surtain II wins 2024 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award".
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