Bart Starr Award

Lore & Background

The award was first given at the second Super Bowl Breakfast in 1989. Bart Starr, the Hall of Fame former quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, partnered with AIA to present the award that bears his name. Starr presented every award until 2015, when a stroke prevented him from attending. Since 2015, former NFL coach Tony Dungy and Starr's son have presented the award in his honor.

In Their Own Story

The stadium lights hummed low over the empty press box as the old alumni gathered, their voices soft but steady. They weren't talking about touchdowns or Super Bowl rings this time; they were discussing a linebacker from the other coast who had spent his off-season rebuilding schools in his hometown. One veteran, wearing a faded 1960s jersey, nodded slowly. 'That's the kind of stuff Bart would have done,' he murmured, looking at the name on the plaque. The trophy sat heavy in the center of the table, not gleaming with gold, but glowing with the weight of expectation. It was a reminder that while the game ends when the clock hits zero, the character built within it lasts forever.

Reader's Guide

The nominee list is compiled by the Public Relations Directors of every NFL team, past award winners, and AIA staff. The list is trimmed to 10 players, with the winner chosen by AIA leadership and past award winners. Some past awardees have been chosen by fellow NFL players after the initial list is trimmed to 10. The award has been given to one player per year, except in 1998 when Irving Fryar and Brent Jones shared it.

Did You Know?

• Steve Largent won the inaugural award in 1989.
• Eugene Robinson returned the award after being arrested the night he received it for soliciting sex from an undercover police officer.
• The award has been given to brothers Peyton and Eli Manning (2015 and 2019) and to father and son Jackie and Matthew Slater (1996 and 2017).
• The most recent awardee as of the source is Christian McCaffrey in 2026.