Bronko Nagurski Trophy

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Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Awarded forThe best defensive player in college football
CountryUnited States
Presented byCharlotte Touchdown Club and Football Writers Association of America
History
First award1993
Most recentTexas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez
Websitewww.touchdownclub.com

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football defensive player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) to be the best in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The award is named for Bronko Nagurski, who played football for the University of Minnesota and Chicago Bears, and is presented by the Charlotte Touchdown Club and FWAA.[1]

Winners

YearWinnerPos.SchoolRef
1993Rob WaldropDTArizona
1994Warren SappDTMiami (FL)
1995Pat FitzgeraldLBNorthwestern
1996Pat Fitzgerald (2)LBNorthwestern (2)
1997Charles WoodsonCBMichigan
1998Champ BaileyCBGeorgia
1999Corey MooreDEVirginia Tech
2000Dan MorganLBMiami (FL) (2)[2]
2001Roy WilliamsSSOklahoma[3]
2002Terrell SuggsDEArizona State
2003Derrick StraitCBOklahoma (2)[4]
2004Derrick JohnsonLBTexas[5]
2005Elvis DumervilDELouisville[6]
2006James LaurinaitisLBOhio State[7]
2007Glenn DorseyDTLSU
2008Brian OrakpoDETexas (2)[8]
2009Ndamukong SuhDTNebraska[9]
2010Da'Quan BowersDEClemson[10][11]
2011Luke KuechlyLBBoston College[12][13]
2012Manti TeʻoLBNotre Dame[14][15]
2013Aaron DonaldDTPittsburgh[16][17]
2014Scooby WrightLBArizona (2)[18]
2015Tyler MatakevichLBTemple[19][20]
2016Jonathan AllenDEAlabama[21][22]
2017Bradley ChubbDENC State[23][24]
2018Josh AllenLBKentucky[25][26]
2019Chase YoungDEOhio State (2)[27][28]
2020Zaven CollinsLBTulsa[29][30]
2021Will Anderson Jr.LBAlabama (2)[31]
2022Will Anderson Jr. (2)LBAlabama (3)[32]
2023Xavier WattsSNotre Dame (2)[33]
2024Kyle KennardDESouth Carolina[34]
2025Jacob RodriguezLBTexas Tech[35]

See also

References

General
Footnotes
  1. "College football: 2016 Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list announced". NCAA.com. Football Writers Association of America. July 8, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  2. "Morgan Wins Bronko Nagurksi Trophy". miamihurricanes.com. University of Miami. December 4, 2000. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  3. "Roy Williams Nabs Bronko Nagurski Award". soonersports.com. University of Oklahoma. December 10, 2001. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  4. "Strait Captures Bronko Nagurski Trophy As Nation's Top Defensive Player". soonersports.com. University of Oklahoma. December 8, 2003. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  5. "Derrick Johnson wins Nagurski Trophy". texaslonghorns.com. University of Texas at Austin. December 6, 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  6. "Dumervil Awarded Bronko Nagurski Trophy". gocards.com. University of Louisville. December 5, 2005. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  7. "Ohio State's Laurinaitis wins Bronko Nagurski Trophy". ohiostatebuckeyes.com. The Ohio State University. December 4, 2006. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  8. "Orakpo claims Nagurski Trophy one day after graduating". texaslonghorns.com. University of Texas at Austin. December 7, 2008. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  9. "Suh Earns Bronko Nagurski Award As Nation's Top Defender". huskers.com. University of Nebraska–Lincoln. December 7, 2009. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  10. "Bowers Wins Bronko Nagurski Award". clemsontigers.com. Clemson University. December 6, 2010. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  11. Cranston, Mike (December 6, 2010). "Clemson DE Bowers wins Bronko Nagurski Trophy". The Oklahoman. Associated Press. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  12. "Kuechly wins Bronko Nagurski Award". bceagles.com. Boston College. December 12, 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  13. "Boston College's Kuechly wins 2011 Bronko Nagurski Trophy". footballfoundation.org. National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame. December 13, 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  14. "Manti Te'o Wins Nagurski Award For Top Defensive Player". fightingirish.com. University of Notre Dame. December 3, 2012. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  15. "Notre Dame's Te'o wins Nagurski Award for top defensive player". USA Today. Associated Press. December 3, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  16. "PITT'S AARON DONALD SELECTED WINNER OF 2013 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY". pittsburghpanthers.com. University of Pittsburgh. December 9, 2013. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  17. Werner, Sam (December 9, 2013). "Pitt defensive tackle Donald wins Nagurski Trophy". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  18. "Arizona LB Scooby Wright wins Nagurski Award". USA Today. Associated Press. December 8, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  19. "Watch: Matakevich Wins Bronko Nagurski Award". owlsports.com. Temple University. December 7, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  20. Scarcella, Rich (December 8, 2015). "Temple's Matakevich wins Bronko Nagurski Trophy". Reading Eagle. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  21. "Alabama's Jonathan Allen Wins 2016 Bronko Nagurski Trophy". rolltide.com. The University of Alabama. December 5, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  22. Potter, Charlie (December 6, 2016). "Alabama's Jonathan Allen wins Bronko Nagurski Trophy". CBS Sports. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  23. "Chubb Wins Bronko Nagurski Trophy". gopack.com. North Carolina State University. December 4, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  24. Reed, Steve (December 5, 2017). "NC State DE Bradley Chubb wins Nagurski Award as top defender". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  25. "Josh Allen Wins Bronko Nagurski Trophy". ukathletics.com. University of Kentucky. December 3, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  26. Pilgram, Jack (December 3, 2018). "Josh Allen wins Bronko Nagurski Trophy for Defensive Player of the Year". Kentucky Sports Radio. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  27. "Chase Young Wins 2019 Bronko Nagurski Award". ohiostatebuckeyes.com. The Ohio State University. December 9, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  28. Taylor, John (December 9, 2019). "Heisman finalist Chase Young named the 2019 Nagurski Trophy winner". College Football Talk. NBC Sports. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  29. "Zaven Collins Wins Bronko Nagurski Trophy". tulsahurricane.com. University of Tulsa. December 23, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  30. Thompson, Jaylon. "Zaven Collins wins Bronko Nagurski Award". 247 Sports. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  31. "Alabama Football's Will Anderson Jr. Wins 2021 Nagurski Trophy". rolltide.com. The University of Alabama. December 6, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  32. "Alabama Football's Will Anderson Jr. Wins Nagurski Trophy for Second Consecutive Year". rolltide.com. The University of Alabama. December 5, 2022. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  33. "Xavier Watts Wins Bronko Nagurski Trophy". fightingirish.com. University of Notre Dame. December 4, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  34. "Kyle Kennard Wins the 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy". gamecocksonline.com. University of South Carolina. December 9, 2024. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  35. "Rodriguez wins Bronko Nagurski Trophy". texastech.com. Texas Tech University. December 8, 2025. Retrieved May 27, 2026.