| Year | Winner | Sport | Achievement |
|---|
| 1954 | Roger Bannister | Track and field | First sub-four-minute mile |
| 1955 | Johnny Podres | Baseball | World Series MVP |
| 1956 | Bobby Joe Morrow | Track and field | Double Olympic gold medalist |
| 1957 | Stan Musial | Baseball | National League batting champion |
| 1958 | Rafer Johnson | Track and field | Decathlon world record |
| 1959 | Ingemar Johansson | Boxing | World heavyweight champion |
| 1960 | Arnold Palmer | Golf | PGA Player of the Year |
| 1961 | Jerry Lucas | College basketball | Final Four MVP |
| 1962 | Terry Baker | College football | Heisman Trophy winner |
| 1963 | Pete Rozelle | Professional football | NFL expansion |
| 1964 | Ken Venturi | Golf | U.S. Open Champion |
| 1965 | Sandy Koufax | Baseball | Cy Young Award, Strikeout record |
| 1966 | Jim Ryun | Track and field | Mile world record |
| 1967 | Carl Yastrzemski | Baseball | Triple Crown winner |
| 1968 | Bill Russell | Professional basketball | NBA champion player-coach |
| 1969 | Tom Seaver | Baseball | Cy Young Award |
| 1970 | Bobby Orr | Hockey | NHL MVP, Art Ross, Conn Smythe, Norris |
| 1971 | Lee Trevino | Golf | PGA Player of the Year |
| 1972 | Billie Jean King | Tennis | Three major titles |
| John Wooden | College basketball | NCAA champion coach |
| 1973 | Jackie Stewart | Auto racing | Formula One World Champion |
| 1974 | Muhammad Ali | Boxing | World heavyweight champion |
| 1975 | Pete Rose | Baseball | World Series MVP |
| 1976 | Chris Evert | Tennis | Two major titles |
| 1977 | Steve Cauthen | Horse racing | Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey |
| 1978 | Jack Nicklaus | Golf | British Open champion |
| 1979 | Terry Bradshaw | Professional football | Super Bowl MVP |
| Willie Stargell | Baseball | World Series MVP |
| 1980 | U.S. Olympic Hockey Team | Hockey | Olympic gold medalists |
| 1981 | Sugar Ray Leonard | Boxing | World welterweight champion |
| 1982 | Wayne Gretzky | Hockey | NHL MVP, Art Ross |
| 1983 | Mary Decker | Track and field | Double world champion |
| 1984 | Edwin Moses | Track and field | Olympic gold medalist |
| Mary Lou Retton | Gymnastics | Olympic gold medalist |
| 1985 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Professional basketball | Playoff MVP |
| 1986 | Joe Paterno | College football | NCAA champion coach |
| 1987 | "Athletes Who Care" |
| Bob Bourne | Hockey | Helped handicapped children's school |
| Track and field | Helped abused children |
| Kip Keino | Track and field | Cared for orphaned children |
| Dale Murphy | Baseball | Charity spokesman |
| College football | Helped needy children |
| Patty Sheehan | Golf | Helped abused girls |
| Rory Sparrow | Professional basketball | Helped school children |
| Reggie Williams | Professional football | Helped high school students |
| 1988 | Orel Hershiser | Baseball | Cy Young Award, World Series MVP |
| 1989 | Greg LeMond | Cycling | Tour de France winner |
| 1990 | Joe Montana | Professional football | Three-time Super Bowl MVP |
| 1991 | Michael Jordan | Professional basketball | NBA MVP, NBA Finals MVP, NBA Champion |
| 1992 | Arthur Ashe | Tennis | Supported humanitarian causes |
| 1993 | Don Shula | Professional football | Winningest NFL coach |
| 1994 | Bonnie Blair | Speed skating | Double Olympic gold medalist |
| Johann Olav Koss | Speed skating | Triple Olympic gold medalist |
| 1995 | Cal Ripken, Jr. | Baseball | Consecutive games record |
| 1996 | Tiger Woods | Golf | U.S. Amateur, NCAA champion |
| 1997 | Dean Smith | College basketball | 2nd Winningest college coach |
| 1998 | Mark McGwire | Baseball | Single-season home run record |
| Sammy Sosa | Baseball | National League MVP |
| 1999 | U.S. Women's Soccer Team | Soccer | World Cup champions |
| 2000 | | Golf | Three major championships |
| 2001 | Curt Schilling | Baseball | World Series Co-MVP |
| Randy Johnson | Baseball | World Series Co-MVP, Cy Young Award |
| 2002 | Lance Armstrong | Cycling | Four-time Tour de France winner |
| 2003 | David Robinson | Professional basketball | Two-time NBA champion |
| Tim Duncan | Professional basketball | NBA MVP, Playoff MVP |
| 2004 | Boston Red Sox | Professional Baseball Team | 2004 World Series champions |
| 2005 | Tom Brady | Professional Football | Two-time Super Bowl MVP |
| 2006 | Dwyane Wade | Professional Basketball | NBA Champion, NBA Finals MVP |
| 2007 | Brett Favre | Professional Football | "for his perseverance and his passion" |