| Year | Name | Position | College | 1st Pro Team |
| 2009 | Mark Ingram | QB | Alabama | N/A |
| 2008 | Sam Bradford | QB | Oklahoma | N/A |
| 2007 | Tim Tebow | QB | Florida | N/A |
| 2006 | Troy Smith | QB | Ohio State | Baltimore Ravens |
| 2005 | Reggie Bush | RB | USC | New Orleans Saints |
| 2004 | Matt Leinart | QB | USC | Arizona Cardinals |
| 2003 | Jason White | QB | Oklahoma | None |
| 2002 | Carson Palmer | QB | USC | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2001 | Eric Crouch | QB | Nebraska | St. Louis Rams |
| 2000 | Chris Weinke | QB | Florida State | Carolina Panthers |
| 1999 | Ron Dayne | RB | Wisconsin | New York Giants |
| 1998 | Ricky Williams | RB | Texas | New Orleans Saints |
| 1997 | Charles Woodson | CB | Michigan | Oakland Raiders |
| 1996 | Danny Wuerffel | QB | Florida | New Orleans Saints |
| 1995 | Eddie George | TB | Ohio State | Houston Oilers |
| 1994 | Rashaan Salaam | RB | Colorado | Chicago Bears |
| 1993 | Charlie Ward | QB | Florida State | N.Y. Knicks (NBA) |
| 1992 | Gino Torretta | QB | Miami | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1991 | Desmond Howard | WR | Michigan | Oakland Raiders |
| 1990 | Ty Detmer | QB | Brigham Young | Green Bay Packers |
| 1989 | Andre Ware | QB | Houston | Detroit Lions |
| 1988 | Barry Sanders | RB | Oklahoma State | Detroit Lions |
| 1987 | Tim Brown | WR | Notre Dame | Oakland Raiders |
| 1986 | Vinny Testaverde | QB | Miami | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 1985 | Bo Jackson | TB | Auburn | Los Angeles Raiders |
| 1984 | Doug Flutie | QB | Boston College | New Jersey Generals (USFL) |
| 1983 | Mike Rozier | TB | Nebraska | Pittsburgh Maulers (USFL) |
| 1982 | Herschel Walker | HB | Georgia | New Jersey Generals (USFL) |
| 1981 | Marcus Allen | TB | Southern Cal | Oakland Raiders |
| 1980 | George Rogers | HB | South Carolina | New Orleans Saints |
| 1979 | Charles White | TB | USC | Cleveland Browns |
| 1978 | Billy Sims | HB | Oklahoma | Detroit Lions |
| 1977 | Earl Campbell | FB | Texas | Houston Oilers |
| 1976 | Tony Dorsett | HB | Pittsburgh | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1975 | Archie Griffin | HB | Ohio State | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1974 | Archie Griffin | HB | Ohio State | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1973 | John Cappelletti | HB | Penn State | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1972 | Johnny Rodgers | FB | Nebraska | Montreal Alouettes (CFL) |
| 1971 | Pat Sullivan | QB | Auburn | Atlanta Falcons |
| 1970 | Jim Plunkett | QB | Stanford | New England Patriots |
| 1969 | Steve Owens | HB | Oklahoma | Detroit Lions |
| 1968 | O.J. Simpson | TB | Southern Cal | Buffalo Bills |
| 1967 | Gary Beban | QB | UCLA | Washington Redskins |
| 1966 | Steve Spurrier | QB | Florida | San Francisco 49′ers |
| 1965 | Mike Garrett | TB | Southern Cal | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1964 | John Huarte | QB | Notre Dame | New York Jets |
| 1963 | Roger Staubach | QB | Navy | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1962 | Terry Baker | QB | Oregon State | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1961 | Ernie Davis | HB | Syracuse | Cleveland Browns |
| 1960 | Joe Bellino | HB | Navy | Boston Patriots |
| 1959 | Billy Cannon | HB | LSU | Houston Oilers |
| 1958 | Pete Dawkins | HB | Army | None |
| 1957 | John David Crow | HB | Texas A&M | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1956 | Paul Horning | QB | Notre Dame | Green Bay Packers |
| 1955 | Howard “Hop along” Cassidy | HB | Ohio State | Detroit Lions |
| 1954 | Alan Ameche | FB | Wisconsin | Baltimore Colts |
| 1953 | John Lattner | HB | Notre Dame | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1952 | Billy Vessels | HB | Oklahoma | Edmonton Eskimos (CFL) |
| 1951 | Dick Kazmaier | HB | Princeton | None |
| 1950 | Vic Janowicz | HB | Ohio State | Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB) |
| 1949 | Leon Hart | E | Notre Dame | Detroit Lions |
| 1948 | Doak Walker | HB | SMU | Detroit Lions |
| 1947 | John Lujack | QB | Notre Dame | Chicago Bears |
| 1946 | Glen Davis | HB | Army | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1945 | Felix “Doc” Blanchard | HB | Army | None |
| 1944 | Les Horvath | QB | Ohio State | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1943 | Angello Bertelli | QB | Notre Dame | None |
| 1942 | Frank Sinkwich | HB | Georgia | Detroit Lions |
| 1941 | Bruce Smith | HB | Minnesota | None |
| 1940 | Tom Harmon | HB | Michigan | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1939 | Nile Kinnick | HB | Iowa | None |
| 1938 | Davey O’Brian | QB | Texas Christian | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1937 | Clint Frank | HB | Yale | None |
| 1936 | Larry Kelley | E | Yale | None |
| 1935 | Jay Berwanger | HB | Chicago | None |
