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Charles Woodson makes pitch for Defensive Heisman Trophy, titles it ‘The Woodson’

Stacey Mickles

By Stacey Mickles

Published:

Charles Woodson captured the Heisman Trophy 25 years ago. The Michigan star was also the last defensive player to take home the trophy and he thinks it’s time to create a Heisman-type award for defensive players and call it “The Woodson.”

“I think it’s time for there to be a Defensive Heisman Trophy itself, and I aptly called it ‘The Woodson.’…Just look at the history of the award,” explaind Woodson. “It’s all offense, it’s QBs, it’s RBs. You can’t have an overall best player always be on one side of the ball. That just can’t be possible, so they should just split it… let’s start that now.”

He’s not wrong. The Heisman is supposed to honor the best player in the country and since 1998, that award mainly goes to a quarterback or a running back. Until Alabama wide receiver DeVdonta Smith took home the award two years ago, not many wide receivers won the award either.

Now some may argue that making a defensive award is unnecessary because there are several awards that honor defensive players such as the Butkus award named after former Illinois and Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus.

There is also the  Chuck Bednarik Award and Ronnie Lott Award that also honors defensive players. And Woodson may be proven wrong this year if Alabama linebacker Will Anderson, who is high on everyone’s Heisman list, wins the award this year.

Stacey Mickles