The Lombardi Trophy is awarded annual to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Rotary Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which remains in place to this day. A player should be a down lineman on either side of the ball or a linebacker who lines up no further than five yards deep from the ball.
Not to be confused with the Vince Lombardi Trophy which is given to the Super Bowl winner.
Past Winners
- 1970 Jim Stillwagon (Ohio State)
- 1971 Walt Patulski (Notre Dame)
- 1972 Rich Glover (Nebraska)
- 1973 John Hicks (Ohio State)
- 1974 Randy White (Maryland)
- 1975 Lee Roy Selmon (Oklahoma)
- 1976 Wilson Whitley (Houston)
- 1977 Ross Browner (Notre Dame)
- 1978 Bruce Clark (Penn State)
- 1979 Brad Budde (Southern Cal)
- 1980 Hugh Green (Pittsburgh)
- 1981 Kenneth Sims (Texas)
- 1982 Dave Rimington (Nebraska)
- 1983 Dean Steinkuhler (Nebraska)
- 1984 Tony Degrate (Texas)
- 1985 Tony Casillas (Oklahoma)
- 1986 Cornelius Bennett (Alabama)
- 1987 Chris Spielman (Ohio State)
- 1988 Tracy Rocker (Auburn)
- 1989 Percy Snow (Michigan State)
- 1990 Chris Zorich (Notre Dame)
- 1991 Steve Emtman (Washington)
- 1992 Marvin Jones (Florida State)
- 1993 Aaron Taylor (Notre Dame)
- 1994 Warren Sapp (Miami)
- 1995 Orlando Pace (Ohio State)
- 1996 Orlando Pace (Ohio State)
- 1997 Grant Wistrom (Nebraska)
- 1998 Dat Nguyen (Texas A&M)
- 1999 Corey Moore (Virginia Tech)
- 2000 Jamal Reynolds (Florida State)
- 2001 Julius Peppers (North Carolina)
- 2002 Terrell Suggs (Arizona State)
- 2003 Tommie Harris (Oklahoma)
