It is named in honor of Bronko Nagurski, a two-way All-American lineman at the University of Minnesota who later enjoyed a Hall of Fame career with the Chicago Bears.
Past winners of the award are listed here:
2008 Brian Orakpo Texas
2007 Glenn Dorsey LSU
2006 James Laurinaitis Ohio State
2005 Elvis Dumervil Louisville
2004 Derrick Johnson Texas
2003 Derrick Strait Oklahoma
2002 Terrell Suggs Arizona State
2001 Roy Williams Oklahoma
2000 Dan Morgan Miami
1999 Corey Moore Virginia Tech
1998 Champ Bailey Georgia
1997 Charles Woodson Michigan
1996 Pat Fitzgerald Northwestern
1995 Pat Fitzgerald Northwestern
1994 Warren Sapp Miami
1993 Rob Waldorf Arizona
