The NFL is an American football league that recognizes outstanding character and leadership not only on the football field but off it as well. Therefore, the NFL has put in place various awards that value player contributions both on and off the turf. The Bart Starr Award also known as the Athletes in Action Award is an annual award bestowed by the league upon a player who demonstrates exemplary character and leadership at home, on the field, and in the community.
This award is presented by Athletes in Action (AIA) and is named after the former quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, Bart Starr. The Hall of Famer was selected by the AIA sports ministry due to his excellent character. He treated his family and community with the utmost respect and became a role model for the society. The first Bart Starr Award was given out in 1989 to former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Steve Largent. The legendary former quarterback Starr was present and handed over every award from 1989 till 2015 which is when he could no longer continue as he suffered a stroke. Since then, the award has been presented by his son and former player and coach Tony Dungy.
List of Bart Starr Award winners
As of January 2025, below are the recipients of the Bart Starr Award:
| Year | Player | Position | Team |
| 1989 | Steve Largent | Wide receiver | Seattle Seahawks |
| 1990 | Anthony Muñoz | Offensive tackle | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1991 | Mike Singletary | Linebacker | Chicago Bears |
| 1992 | Reggie White | Defensive end | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1993 | Gill Byrd | Cornerback | San Diego Chargers |
| 1994 | Warren Moon | Quarterback | Houston Oilers |
| 1995 | Cris Carter | Wide receiver | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1996 | Jackie Slater | Offensive tackle | St. Louis Rams |
| 1997 | Darrell Green | Cornerback | Washington Redskins |
| 1998 | Irving Fryar | Wide receiver | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Brent Jones | Tight end | San Francisco 49ers | |
| 1999 | Eugene Robinson | Safety | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2000 | Aeneas Williams | Cornerback | Arizona Cardinals |
| 2001 | Bruce Matthews | Offensive tackle | Tennessee Titans |
| 2002 | Darren Woodson | Safety | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2003 | Trent Dilfer | Quarterback | Seattle Seahawks |
| 2004 | Derrick Brooks | Linebacker | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 2005 | Troy Vincent | Cornerback | Buffalo Bills |
| 2006 | Curtis Martin | Running back | New York Jets |
| 2007 | John Lynch | Safety | Denver Broncos |
| 2008 | LaDainian Tomlinson | Running back | San Diego Chargers |
| 2009 | Warrick Dunn | Running back | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 2010 | Kurt Warner | Quarterback | Arizona Cardinals |
| 2011 | Drew Brees | Quarterback | New Orleans Saints |
| 2012 | London Fletcher | Linebacker | Washington Redskins |
| 2013 | Jason Witten | Tight end | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2014 | Aaron Rodgers | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
| 2015 | Peyton Manning | Quarterback | Denver Broncos |
| 2016 | Thomas Davis | Linebacker | Carolina Panthers |
| 2017 | Matthew Slater | Wide receiver | New England Patriots |
| 2018 | Benjamin Watson | Tight end | Baltimore Ravens |
| 2019 | Calais Campbell | Defensive end | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 2020 | Eli Manning | Quarterback | New York Giants |
| 2021 | Demario Davis | Linebacker | New Orleans Saints |
| 2022 | Russell Wilson | Quarterback | Seattle Seahawks |
| 2023 | Kirk Cousins | Quarterback | Minnesota Vikings |
| 2024 | Minkah Fitzpatrick | Safety | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 2025 | Cameron Jordan | Defensive End | New Orleans Saints |
FAQs on Bart Starr Award
A. The Bart Starr Award is an annual award of the NFL which is given to a player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership at home, on the field, and in the community as well.
A. The first winner of the Bart Starr Award was Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Steve Largent.
A. Kirk Cousins, the quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings won the 2023 Bart Starr Award.
A. The Bart Starr Award is given to only one player each year with the exception of 1998 when Irving Fryar and Brent Jones each received the award.
