Rarely do you ever see defensive players mentioned on the list of Heisman Trophy hopefuls, let alone win the Heisman.
The last three defensive players in recent memory to be even named a finalist for the prestigious award were Ndamukong Suh in 2009, leading a stout Nebraska Cornhuskers defense, Tyrann Mathieu in 2011, leading an LSU Tigers team to a national championship game appearance and an SEC Championship, and Manti Te’o in 2012, leading Notre Dame to a national championship game appearance.
And of course, Charles Woodson is the only defensive player to win the award, back in 1997 playing for Michigan.