Decades after his standout Sooner career, Tony Casillas earns the prestigious Bronko Nagurski Legends Award, celebrating his exceptional defensive impact
DALLAS (FWAA) – Tony Casillas received the news a few weeks ago that he had been named the winner of the 2026 Nagurski Legends Award. He was overwhelmed when he opened his mail and read the letter from the Charlotte Touchdown Club and the FWAA that he had been selected as the recipient, more than four decades after being named an FWAA All-America with the Sooners in 1984 and '85.
"I am humbled," he said by telephone and kept repeating, as he flipped through a program from the 2025 Dinner in Charlotte, N.C., where he will be honored in December. "When you get older, it is nice to get this honor."
The Charlotte Touchdown Club and the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) have selected Casillas as the recipient of the 2026 Bronko Nagurski Legends Award for the upcoming banquet on Monday, Dec. 7 in Charlotte, N.C.
Last year former Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth was the keynote speaker for the dinner. Oklahoma's Roy Williams won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy in 2001; the Sooners' Derrick Strait claimed it in 2003.
Each year since 2007 the two entities (CTC and FWAA) select a member of a past FWAA All-America team on the defensive side of the ball to receive this honor. This past year Ron Rivera of Cal was the Legends winner from the 1983 FWAA Team. Other previous Nagurski Trophy winners of the award include Hugh Green (Pitt), Alan Page (Notre Dame), Mike McCoy (Notre Dame), Bubba Smith (Michigan State), Larry Jacobson (Nebraska), Randy White (Maryland), Jack Youngblood (Florida), Jerry Robinson (UCLA), Tom Cousineau (Ohio State) and several others.
This presentation occurs the same night in Charlotte as the announcement of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner (the Best Defensive Player from the current season). Since the Nagurski Trophy was only established in 1993, the two organizations go back and honor a past great defensive player such as Casillas before the actual Nagurski Trophy was awarded.
Casillas, who played for the Sooners from 1982-85, came from nearby East High School in Tulsa, Okla., but had a slow collegiate start at OU because of sickness and an ankle injury and played only sparingly at defensive tackle in 1983. But in the 1984 season Casillas came into his own when he was moved to nose guard and was a consensus All-America for the first of two straight seasons as well as a team captain in both years.
His footwork was terrific. One coach described it was like "watching a sewing machine (operate)" because of the nimbleness of his feet. His head coach, Hall of Famer Barry Switzer, said: "He is perhaps the greatest Sooner defensive lineman ever." In his final year at OU, Casillas became the second Sooner to win the Lombardi Trophy and was named UPI National Lineman of the Year and Big Eight Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Casillas helped lead Oklahoma to its first National Championship in 10 years in 1985. During his OU career, Casillas amassed 18 career sacks and 213 career tackles. He graduated with a degree in public relations and earned Academic All-Conference honors his senior year.
During the 1985 season, Casillas was one of three Sooner defensive All-Americans, along with linebacker Brian Bosworth and defensive end Kevin Murphy.
"He was one of the best defensive players in all of college football during the 1980s," said FWAA Executive Director Steve Richardson." His senior year the Sooners lost only one game all season, to Miami, Fla., and roughed up the Big Eight competition with their defense. Bosworth also won the Butkus Award. If they had had the Hendricks Award (best defensive end) back then, Murphy would have probably won that. Nebraska was a distant second in the Big 12 as Casillas topped off his Sooner caareer in fine fashion."
Casillas was selected second overall in the 1986 NFL Draft by the Altanta Falcons. Twice named an All-Pro, he played 13 seasons in the NFL with three different teams (Atlanta, Dallas and the New York Jets) and won two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys.
Tony Casillas
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is presented annually by the Charlotte Touchdown Club and the Football Writers Association of America to the nation's most outstanding NCAA defensive football player at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, N.C. All proceeds benefit the Charlotte Touchdown Club Scholarship Fund. For more information call 704-347-2918 or touchdownclub.com.
The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, N.C. region. Since its inception, the club has grown as well as diversified boasting a sponsor team of more than (80) companies. The Club's activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding Citizenship, Scholarship, Sportsmanship and Leadership of area athletes and coaches. Through individual and corporate support, more than $3,000,000 has been raised and donated to benefit the Touchdown Club's scholarship efforts.
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Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,300 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.
ALL-TIME BRONKO NAGURSKI LEGENDS AWARD RECIPIENTS
2007: Alan Page, Notre Dame; Bubba Smith, Michigan State
2008: Ted Hendricks, Miami
2009: Roger Wehrli, Missouri
2010: Mike McCoy, Notre Dame
2011: Jack Youngblood, Florida
2012: Larry Jacobson, Nebraska
2013: Randy Rhino, Georgia Tech
2014: Randy White, Maryland
2015: Randy Gradishar, Ohio State
2016: Chet Moeller, Navy
2017: Ross Browner, Notre Dame
2018: Tom Cousineau, Ohio State
2019: Jerry Robinson, UCLA
2020: None selected
2021: Johnny Johnson, Texas
2022: Hugh Green, Pitt
2023: Jeff Davis, Clemson
2024: Darryl Talley, West Virginia
2025: Ron Rivera, California
2026: Tony Casillas, Oklahoma