NFL Defensive Player of the Year winners

American football player (born 1959)

American football player (born 1975)

American football player (born 1989)

American football player (born 1978)

American football player (born 1997)

American football player, defensive back, safety

American football player and executive (born 1981)

Deion Luwynn Sanders Sr., commonly known as Deion Sanders, is an American football coach and former player who is the head football coach at the University of Colorado Boulder. Nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Coach Prime", he played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Baltimore Ravens. Sanders was also a baseball outfielder for nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants. He won two Super Bowl titles and made one World Series appearance in 1992, making him the only athlete to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.

American football player (1961–2004)

American football player (born 1991)

American football player and media personality (born 1971)

Myles Lorenz Garrett is an American professional football defensive end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies, receiving unanimous All-American honors in 2016. Selected first overall by the Browns in the 2017 NFL draft, Garrett is the team's all-time career sacks leader. He was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and 2025 and has earned seven Pro Bowl and five first-team All-Pro selections. Garrett holds the NFL single season sack record (23), which he set in 2025.

American football player (born 1994)

American football player (born 1991)

American football player (1969-2012)

American football player (born 1976)

American football player and coach

American football player (born 1982)

American football player (born 1991)

American football player (born 1972)

American football player and executive (born 1973)

American football player (born 1963)

American football player and coach (born 1965)

American football player (born 1990)

American football player and judge (born 1945)

American professional football player

American football player, linebacker

American football player

American football player and coach

American football player (born 2000)

Player of American football (1968-2017)

American football player and professional wrestler (1950–2001)

American football player, safety, politician, state senator

American football player and coach (born 1974)

American football player (1959–2025)

American football player (born 1970)

American football player (1954-2011)

American football player, defensive back

player of American football

American football player (born 1952)

American football player and coach

player of American football

American gridiron football player (born 1964)