| | 1937 - Clint Frank, Yale, HB |
| | 1938 - Davey O'Brien, TCU, QB |
| | 1939 - Nile Kinnick, Iowa, HB |
| | 1940 - Tom Harmon, Michigan, HB |
| | 1941 - Bill Dudley, Virginia, HB |
| | 1942 - Paul Governali, Columbia, QB |
| | 1943 - Bob Odell, Pennsylvania, HB |
| | 1944 - Glenn Davis, Army, HB |
| | 1945 - Doc Blanchard, Army, FB |
| | 1946 - Charley Trippi, Georgia, HB |
| | 1947 - Doak Walker, SMU, HB |
| | 1948 - Chuck Bednarik, Pennsylvania, C |
| | 1949 - Leon Hart, Notre Dame, E |
| | 1950 - Reds Bagnell, Pennsylvania, HB |
| | 1951 - Dick Kazmaier, Princeton, HB |
| | 1952 - John Lattner, Notre Dame, HB |
| | 1953 - John Lattner, Notre Dame, HB |
| | 1954 - Ron Beagle, Navy, E |
| | 1955 - Howard Cassady, Ohio State, HB |
| | 1956 - Tommy McDonald, Oklahoma, HB |
| | 1957 - Bob Reifsnyder, Navy, T |
| | 1958 - Pete Dawkins, Army, HB |
| | 1959 - Rich Lucas, Penn State, QB |
| | 1960 - Joe Bellino, Navy, HB |
| | 1961 - Bob Ferguson, Ohio State, FB |
| | 1962 - Terry Baker, Oregon State, QB |
| | 1963 - Roger Staubach, Navy, QB |
| | 1964 - Glenn Ressler, Penn State, C |
| | 1965 - Tommy Nobis, Texas, LB |
| | 1966 - Jim Lynch, Notre Dame, LB |
| | 1967 - Gary Beban, UCLA, QB |
| | 1968 - O.J. Simpson, USC, RB |
| | 1969 - Mike Reid, Penn State, DT |
| | 1970 - Jim Plunkett, Stanford, QB |
| | 1971 - Ed Marinaro, Cornell, RB |
| | 1972 - Brad Van Pelt, Michigan State, DB |
| | 1973 - John Cappelletti, Penn State, RB |
| | 1974 - Steve Joachim, Temple, QB |
| | 1975 - Archie Griffin, Ohio State, RB |
| | 1976 - Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh, RB |
| | 1977 - Ross Browner, Notre Dame, DE |
| | 1978 - Chuck Fusina, Penn State, QB |
| | 1979 - Charles White, USC, RB |
| | 1980 - Hugh Green, Pittsburgh, DE |
| | 1980 - Hugh Green, Pittsburgh, DE |
| | 1981 - Marcus Allen, USC, RB |
| | 1982 - Herschel Walker, Georgia, RB |
| | 1983 - Mike Rozier, Nebraska, RB |
| | 1984 - Doug Flutie, Boston College, QB |
| | 1985 - Chuck Long, Iowa, QB |
| | 1986 - Vinny Testaverde, Miami (FL), QB |
| | 1987 - Don McPherson, Syracuse, QB |
| | 1988 - Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State, RB |
| | 1989 - Anthony Thompson, Indiana, RB |
| | 1990 - Ty Detmer, BYU, QB |
| | 1991 - Desmond Howard, Michigan, WR |
| | 1992 - Gino Torretta, Miami (FL), QB |
| | 1993 - Charlie Ward, Florida State, QB |
| | 1994 - Kerry Collins, Penn State, QB |
| | 1995 - Eddie George, Ohio State, RB |
| | 1996 - Danny Wuerffel, Florida, QB |
| | 1997 - Peyton Manning, Tennessee, QB |
| | 1998 - Ricky Williams, Texas, RB |
| | 1999 - Ron Dayne, Wisconsin, RB |
| | 2000 - Drew Brees, Purdue, QB |
| | 2001 - Ken Dorsey, Miami (FL), QB |
| | 2002 - Larry Johnson, Penn State, RB |
| | 2003 - Eli Manning, Mississippi, QB |
| | 2004 - Jason White, Oklahoma, QB |
| | 2005 - Vince Young, Texas, QB |