who has the most defensive player of the year awards nfl
Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award Lawrence Taylor and J. J. Watt are the only three-time winners of the award.[2] Joe Greene, Mike Singletary, Bruce Smith, Reggie White, and Ray Lewis have each won it twice. Taylor is the only player to win the award as a rookie, doing so in 1981.[3] In 2008, James Harrison became the only undrafted free agent to win the award.[4] White is the only player to win the award with two different teams, winning in 1987 with the Philadelphia Eagles and again with the Green Bay Packers in 1998.[5] Watt is the only player to win the award unanimously, receiving 50 out of 50 first place votes in 2014.[6] He was also a near-unanimous winner in 2012 as he earned 49 out of 50 votes.[6]
Walter Payton Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1954[1] – November 1, 1999) was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". A nine-time Pro Bowl selectee, Payton is remembered as a prolific rusher, once holding records for career rushing yards, touchdowns, carries, yards from scrimmage, all-purpose yards, and many other categories. He was also versatile, and retired with the most receptions by a non-receiver, and had eight career touchdown passes. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996. Hall of Fame NFL player and coach Mike Ditka described Payton as the greatest football player he had ever seen—but even greater as a human being.[2]