The Nagurski Trophy is awarded annually to the best defensive player
in college football by the Football Writers Association of America
and the Charlotte Touchdown Club.
Johnson is the third Big 12 Conference player in four seasons to win
the award. But he is the first Texas Longhorn to claim the 12-year-old award,
which is voted upon by the FWAA All-America Committee.
Last year, Oklahoma defensive back Derrick Strait, now with the New York
Jets, claimed the Nagurski Trophy. And another Oklahoma defensive back Roy
Williams, now with the Dallas Cowboys, won the award in 2001.
Johnson, who was the Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year,
in 11 games this season posted 128 tackles. He had 19 tackles for loss,
caused a NCAA record-tying eight fumbles, and picked up an interception.
He also had three quarterback hurries.
"He's a special guy, real special," said Texas' first-year defensive
coordinator Greg Robinson. "We will miss him."
Oklahoma handed UT its only loss of the 2004 regular season, 12-0 at
the Cotton Bowl in early October. And Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops was the
keynote speaker at this banquet. But Johnson was superb in that game, which
was Oklahoma's lowest scoring output of the season.
Against the Sooners, 6-4, 230-pound senior from Waco, Texas, collected
16 tackles (seven unassisted), made one tackle for a three-yard loss and
intercepted a pass and returned it 18 yards.
Johnson, who also is a finalist for the Bednarik, Lombardi and Butkus
awards, will play in the Rose Bowl in his final game for the Longhorns.
Auburn defensive back Carlos Rogers and defensive ends Jonathan Goddard
of Marshall, Erasmus James of Wisconsin and David Pollack of Georgia were
the other 2004 Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalists.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is named for the former University of Minnesota
All-American. Nagurski was a consensus All-American defensive tackle in
1929 and also made All-America teams that year as a fullback, the only man
ever picked at two positions. He was a charter member of the National Football
Foundation Hall of Fame. Nagurski died at the age of 81 in January 1980.
For more information on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, go to
www.touchdownclub.com
or www.footballwriters.com.
Bronko Nagurski Trophy Winners
1993 Rob Waldrop, Arizona
1994 Warren Sapp, Miami
1995 Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
1996 Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
1997 Charles Woodson, Michigan
1998 Champ Bailey, Georgia
1999 Corey Moore, Virginia Tech
2000 Dan Morgan, Miami
2001 Roy Williams, Oklahoma
2002 Terrell Suggs, Arizona State
2003 Derrick Strait, Oklahoma
2004 Derrick Johnson, Texas