Who was the last defensive player to win Heisman Trophy before Travis Hunter?

Last Saturday, Colorado Buffaloes two-way superstar Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the second defensive player in history to win the prestigious honor.

However, the first player to make history playing on the defensive line and winning the Heisman Trophy was Charles Woodson.

Contending among legends like Peyton Manning, Randy Moss, and Ryan Leaf, it took Woodson a historic season to win the Heisman honor. He not only led the Michigan Wolverines to an undefeated season and won the AP National Championship, but also commanded the football field, showcasing his leadership on offense, defense, and special teams throughout the season.

After establishing a rushing record in high school with 2,028 yards on 218 carries in 1995, Woodson joined Michigan in 1996 where he earned the starting cornerback position less than two weeks into training camp. After leading the team in recorded interception count, he was rewarded with the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

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Then as college football moved to the two-platoon system in the 1960s, Woodson utilized the opportunity to play in the offensive line as wide receiver when his then-head coach, Lloyd Carr presented it.

Woodson finished his final season with 12 receptions for 238 yards and two touchdowns along with five carries for 21 yards and one touchdown in the offensive line. And recorded 44 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, eight interceptions, and defended nine passes while returning 36 punts for 301 yards and one touchdown.

Travis Hunter became first Colorado player to claim the Heisman Trophy in 30 years

Colorado may not have qualified for the college football playoffs, but wide receiver Hunter outperformed everyone to win the Heisman Trophy. He became the first two-way star to win the honor since 1997—the last time Woodson won it—and the second defensive player in college football history to do so.

I never thought I would be in this position. It's crazy.

Travis Hunter said holding the Heisman Trophy tightly in his handTravis Hunter won Heisman Trophy, 2024 (Via AP News)

Additionally, Hunter became the first Colorado player since Rashaan Salaam in 1994 to win the trophy. On the offense, he recorded 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns, whereas on the defense, he recorded four interceptions, 32 tackles, and defended 11 passes, along with a forced fumble, to win the grand trophy to his name.

During his speech, instead of prioritizing his NFL Draft next year, where he is projected to be the first overall pick, he appeared focused on the upcoming bowl game of Colorado- the first-ever bowl game in the last four years.

Travis Hunter said holding the Heisman Trophy tightly in his hand

(1945 Articles Published)

Pratyusha is a budding writer in the field of sports. She covers NFL for Firstsportz. Although she has worked with variety of companies like Startup Talky and CodeCoinCap in the past, she recently started moving towards her passion aka football. Her first tryst with the sport was when she was a child and she has been hooked ever since. Apart from football she also has an inclination for Cricket and NBA.