Sackmaster T.J. Watt wins top defensive player
Cowboys’ Quinn wins top assistant coach award
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — T.J. Watt has made it a brother act for AP Defensive Player of the Year.
Pittsburgh’s All-Pro edge rusher who tied the NFL sacks record with 221⁄2, joined older brother J.J. in taking the award at NFL Honors on Thursday night.
The Steelers star received 42 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league, far outdistancing Dallas rookie linebacker Micah Parsons (five) and three-time winner Aaron Donald (three).
Watt, a unanimous AllPro selection this season, follows his brother, who was the top defensive player in 2012, ‘14 and ‘15 with Houston.
Although he missed three games, Watt still got to the sacks mark set by Hall of Famer Michael Strahan — and Watt didn’t need Brett Favre taking a dive for the final sack. In all, Watt made 64 tackles despite battling an assortment of injuries.
DAN QUINN WINS ASSISTANT COACH OF YEAR AWARD
Dan Quinn is staying in Dallas, accompanied by his AP Assistant Coach of the Year award.
Last month, the defensive coordinator for the Cowboys and former head coach in Atlanta told other teams interested in hiring him to guide them that he was going nowhere.
Quinn received 31 votes in results. He was one of 12 assistants to get a selection, but second place was far back: Buffalo defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier with four.
A defensive coordinator for Seattle’s Super Bowl champion for the 2013 season, Quinn turned around a unit in Dallas. The Cowboys were seventh in scoring defense and second in the NFL in interception rate, with cornerback Trevon Diggs leading the league with 11 picks. Rookie linebacker Micah Parsons was a revelation under Quinn’s guidance.
MICAH PARSONS WINS AP DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Dallas linebacker Micah Parsons was so sensational in 2021 that he swept the voting for AP Defensive Rookie of the Year.
In balloting by a nationwide panel, Parsons got all 50 votes. He’s the first defensive rookie to be a unanimous choice; Marcus Allen, Ben Roethlisberger and Anquan Boldin did it on offense.
Parsons, the 12th overall selection last April, skipped the 2020 season at Penn State due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But from the outset with the Cowboys, he not only was a starter but a playmaker and eventually an All-Pro.
He had 84 tackles and 13 sacks in becoming the first Cowboy to win the award.