Ranking the 30 best Defensive Player of the Year winning seasons
By Nick Villano
Ranking the 30 best Defensive Player of the Year winning seasons: 25. 1989 Keith Millard
Keith Millard was a man in the wrong era. He looked like a throwback to the Purple People Eaters from the late 60s and early 70s Vikings teams. Unfortunately for him, he was born 15 years too late, and now he had to be dominant on a late 80s Minnesota Vikings team.
Millard was getting better and better every season before really hitting his peak in 1989. His stats were obviously impressive this season. He put up 18 sacks including four in one game against the rival Green Bay Packers. He even added an interception with a 48-yard return and a fumble recovery for touchdown. Millard did just about everything on the defensive line.
The Vikings as a whole allowed the least amount of yards total in the league. Teams had trouble moving the ball, and Millard made them think twice at every turn.
Millard’s career after this was unfortunate, which is why he isn’t named with some of the best of all time. He suffered a major knee injury in 1990, and it caused him to miss all of the 1991 season. That really changed everything. He never looked like the same guy. It was an unfortunate end, but going back to the 1989 season, it was one of the more dominant seasons from the line.