30 NFL players you won’t believe never won an award

2. Darrelle Revis
Pro Football Hall of Fame: 2023

There are few players who had the impact on defense that Darrelle Revis had between 2008 and 2011. During that time, he was a three-time first-team All-Pro, and four-time Pro Bowler, and recorded 15 interceptions despite the entire league ignoring his side of the field. He had zero interceptions in 2010 and was still put up an approximate value of 14, which is a stat by Football Reference to try to benchmark the impact players have versus those at other positions. 

While that 14 with no interceptions is impressive, it was his third season in the league that blew our collective minds. He put up a 22 AV, which led all players. Literally all of them. Quarterbacks, defensive ends, inside linebackers, and running backs all trailed Darrelle Revis in AV in 2009. According to this metric, he was the best player in the league, beating out Patrick Willis who put up 20 and Aaron Rodgers and Philip Rivers, who put up 19 AV. 

Revis blocked 31 passes that season and recorded six interceptions, his career high, and took them back 121 yards. For his efforts, he finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Charles Woodson scored three defensive touchdowns, and since that ended up on Sportscenter, that’s who won the award.

Revis had many more psychotic seasons at his position, constantly shutting down the best receivers in the game and sending them to “Revis Island.” He even had a resurgence with the New England Patriots, winning his one and only Super Bowl in 2015. He’ll go down as the best player ever to never win DPOY.