It has been almost 22 years since a player other than a quarterback or running back has won the Heisman Trophy.
The last and only “primarily” defensive player to win the award was infamous Michigan Man Charles Woodson in 1997. There have been some notable high finishes in the two decades plus since then, with the closest being Manti Te’o’s second place finish in 2012. Te’o and former Pittsburgh defensive end Hugh Green remain the only defensive players other than Woodson to earn a seat among the top three finalists at the Heisman Ceremony in New York.