Beginning in 1966 the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) annually awarded the George S. Halas Trophy to the NFL's outstanding defensive player. (The George S. Halas Trophy should not be confused with the Pro Football Writers Association

Pro Football Writers Association

Technically known as the Pro Football Writers of America, this organization purports to be "The official voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve the public." Goals of the organization include improving access to practices and locker rooms,...

's George S. Halas Courage Award or the National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

's George Halas Trophy that is awarded to the NFC champion.) The winner was released via the NEA news service and also appeared in the World Almanac

World Almanac

In 1993 Scripps sold the Almanac to K-III .The World Almanac was sold to Ripplewood Holdings' WRC Media in 1999. Ripplewood bought Reader's Digest and the book was then produced by the World Almanac Education Group, which was owned by The Reader's Digest Association...

, which was an NEA publication. The award ran though 1996. It was considered one of the major awards and as included in the NFL Record and Fact Book and its winners still appear in the NFL's Official Encyclopedia, Total Football II. In his book, A Thinking Man's Guide to Pro Football, sportwriter Paul Zimmerman

Paul Zimmerman

Paul Lionel Zimmerman is the son of Charles S. Zimmerman and Rose Zimmerman. Zimmerman, also known to readers as "Dr. Z", is an American football sportswriter who wrote for the weekly magazine Sports Illustrated, as well as the magazine's website, SI.com. He is sometimes confused with Paul D...

 touted the NEA for its All-Pro team and its awards, since they involved polling the players, rather than being a sportswriter's poll like the AP

Associated Press

The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...

, UPI, and the PFWA

Pro Football Writers Association

Technically known as the Pro Football Writers of America, this organization purports to be "The official voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve the public." Goals of the organization include improving access to practices and locker rooms,...

.

NEA NFL Defensive Player of the Year

Winners are awarded George S. Halas Trophy

1966— Larry Wilson

Larry Wilson

Larry Frank Wilson is a former American football free safety who played for the St. Louis Cardinals.Wilson attended Rigby High School, where a plaque now hangs noting his accomplishments...

, S, St. Louis Cardinals

1967— Deacon Jones

Deacon Jones

David D. "Deacon" Jones is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.Jones specialized in quarterback sacks, a term attributed to him...

, DE, Los Angeles Rams

1968— Deacon Jones, DE, Los Angeles Rams

1969— Dick Butkus

Dick Butkus

Richard Marvin "Dick" Butkus is a former American football player for the Chicago Bears. He was drafted in 1965 and he is also widely regarded as one of the best and most durable linebackers of all time. Butkus starred as a football player for the University of Illinois and the Chicago Bears. He...

, MLB, Chicago Bears

1970— Dick Butkus, MLB, Chicago Bears

1971— Carl Eller

Carl Eller

Carl Eller is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who played from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and attended the University of Minnesota...

, DE, Minnesota Vikings

1972— Joe Greene

Joe Greene (American football)

Charles Edward Greene, known as “Mean Joe” Greene, is a former all-pro American football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. Throughout the early 1970s he was the one of most dominant defensive players in the National Football League...

, DT, Pittsburgh Steelers

1973— Alan Page

Alan Page

Alan Cedric Page is a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of...

, DT, Minnesota Vikings

1974— Joe Greene, DT, Pittsburgh Steelers

1975— Curley Culp

Curley Culp

Curley Culp is a former professional American football player. An offensive and defensive lineman, he played college football at Arizona State University, was the NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion while at ASU, and played professionally in the American Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs...

, DT, Houston Oilers

1976— Jerry Sherk

Jerry Sherk

Jerry Martin Sherk is a former American football defensive tackle who played for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League for 12 seasons between 1970 until 1981...

, DT, Cleveland Browns

1977— Harvey Martin

Harvey Martin

Harvey Banks Martin was an American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from 1973 until 1983. He started playing football in high school, only because he overheard his father tell his mother that he was ashamed that his son did not play like his friends'...

, DE, Dallas Cowboys

1978— Randy Gradishar

Randy Gradishar

Randy Charles Gradishar is a former college and professional American football linebacker who played in the 1970s and 1980s. Randy Gradishar is currently the Director of Corporate Communications for the Phil Long Dealerships in Colorado...

, ILB, Denver Broncos

1979— Lee Roy Selmon

Lee Roy Selmon

Lee Roy Selmon was a Hall of Fame NFL football defensive lineman.-Early life:Selmon was the youngest of nine children of Lucious and Jessie Selmon, raised on a farm near Eufaula, Oklahoma...

, DE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1980— Lester Hayes

Lester Hayes

Lester Hayes is a former professional American football player for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League....

, CB, Oakland Raiders

1981— Joe Klecko

Joe Klecko

Joseph Edward Klecko is a former American football player as a defensive lineman best remembered for his days as a member of the New York Jets' famed "New York Sack Exchange."-Temple University Owls:...

, DE, New York Jets

1982— Mark Gastineau

Mark Gastineau

Marcus Dell Gastineau is a former American football player who was a leading defensive end for the New York Jets from 1979 to 1988. A five-time Pro Bowler, his 100½ quarterback sacks in only his first 100 starts in the NFL made him one of the quickest and most feared pass rushers of his generation...

, DE, New York Jets

1983— Jack Lambert, MLB, Pittsburgh Steelers

1984— Mike Haynes, CB, Los Angeles Raiders

1985— Howie Long

Howie Long

Howard "Howie" Matthew Moses Long is an American former National Football League defensive end and actor. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000...

, DE, Los Angeles Raiders/
Andre Tippett

Andre Tippett

Andre Bernard Tippett is a former American football linebacker who played for the New England Patriots of the NFL. Currently, he is the Patriots' Executive Director of Community Affairs. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.-Personal life:Tippett was born in Birmingham,...

, OLB, New England Patriots (tie)

1986— Lawrence Taylor

Lawrence Taylor

Lawrence Julius Taylor , nicknamed "L.T.", is a Hall of Fame former American football player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants in the National Football League...

, OLB, New York Giants

1987— Reggie White

Reggie White

Reginald Howard "Reggie" White was a professional American football player. He played 15 seasons as a defensive end in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers, becoming one of the most decorated players in NFL history...

, DE, Philadelphia Eagles

1988— Mike Singletary

Mike Singletary

Michael "Mike" Singletary is an American football coach and former professional football player. He is currently the linebacker coach and assistant head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL....

, MLB, Chicago Bears

1989— Tim Harris

Tim Harris (linebacker)

Timothy David Harris is a former American football linebacker who played for the Green Bay Packers , the San Francisco 49ers , and the Philadelphia Eagles...

, OLB, Green Bay Packers

1990— Bruce Smith, DE, Buffalo Bills

1991— Pat Swilling

Pat Swilling

Patrick Travis Swilling is a former American football linebacker in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints and a delegate in the Louisiana House of Representatives. He earned five Pro Bowl appearances.-College career:...

, OLB, New Orleans Saints

1992— Junior Seau

Junior Seau

Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted fifth overall by the San Diego Chargers during the 1990 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Southern California and was the progenitor of the "NFL-USC linebacker".A ten-time All-Pro and...

, LB, San Diego Chargers

1993— Bruce Smith, DE, Buffalo Bills

1994— Deion Sanders

Deion Sanders

Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...

, CB, San Francisco 49ers

1995— Bryce Paup

Bryce Paup

Bryce Eric Paup is a former American football defensive end and linebacker, who played professionally for the Green Bay Packers , the Buffalo Bills , the Jacksonville Jaguars , and the Minnesota Vikings .-Biography:Paup grew up on a farm in Scranton, Iowa, where he played football at Scranton...

, OLB, Buffalo Bills

1996— Kevin Greene

Kevin Greene

Kevin Darwin Greene is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League for 15 years and who retired after the 1999 NFL season...

, OLB, Carolina Panthers