How important was consensus All-American DT Will Sutton’s decision to return to ASU for his senior season? As the reigning Pac-12 Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year and Morris Trophy Defensive Award winner, he has the chance to become just the second and fifth, respectively, repeat winner in the history of the awards. 

Of the 34 student-athletes who have earned Pac-12 Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year honors, only eight have been underclassmen. Five of those opted for the NFL, making Sutton just the third conference defensive POY to come back to school.

Washington’s Steve Emtman is the only repeat winner in the history of the award as won the award as a redshirt sophomore in 1990 and repeated as a redshirt junior in 1991. Jason Chorak, another Huskie, also returned to school after winning the award as a junior in 1996. The five that made the jump to the league include All-Pro players Haloti Ngata, former Sun Devil Terrell Suggs and Junior Seau.

Sutton was the sixth Sun Devil to take home the award and the third junior – the previous two left early to enter the NFL Draft.

Pac-12 Pat Tillman Defensive Players of the Year since 1983

2012 – Sutton – ASU – junior – returning for senior season

2011 -Mychal Kendricks - Cal – senior

2010- Stephen Paea – OSU - senior

2009 – Brian Price- UCLA - junior – left for NFL

2008 – Rey Maualuga – senior

2007 – Sedrick Ellis – USC – senior

2006 – Daymeion Hughes – Cal – senior

2005 – Haloti Ngata – Oregon – junior – left for NFL

2005 – Dale Robinson – ASU – senior

2004 – Bill Swancutt – OSU - senior

2004 – Shaun Cody – USC – senior

2003 – Dave Ball – UCLA – senior

2002 – Terrell Suggs – ASU – junior – left for NFL

2001 – Robert Thomas – UCLA – senior

2000 – Adam Archuleta – ASU – senior

1999 – Deltha O’Neal – Cal – senior

1998 – Chris Claiborne – USC – senior

1997 – Pat Tillman – ASU – senior

1996 – Jason Chorak – Washington – junior – returned for senior season

1995 – Tedy Bruschi – Arizona – senior

1994 – Mark Fields – WSU – junior – left for NFL

1993 – Rob Waldrop – Arizona – senior

1992 – Dave Hoffmann - Washington – senior

1991 – Steve Emtman – Washington – RS junior - left for NFL

1990 – Emtman – RS sophomore – returned for junior season

1990 – Darryl Lewis – Arizona – senior

1989 – Junior Seau – USC – junior – left for NFL

1988 – Dana Wells - Arizona - senior

1987 – Chuck Cecil – Arizona - senior

1986 – Byron Evans - Arizona – senior

1985 – Mark Walen – UCLA - senior

1984 – Duane Bickett – USC – senior

1983 – Ron Rivera – Cal – senior

1983 – Ricky Hunley – Arizona – senior

ASU’s Previous Morris Trophy Recipients


2002 - Terrell Suggs, defensive end
- junior – left for NFL

2001 - Levi Jones, offensive tackle
- senior

1997 - Jeremy Staat, rush tackle
- senior

1987 - Randall McDaniel, offensive guard – senior 


1986 - Danny Villa, offensive tackle – junior – left for NFL