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NFL Makes Major Patrick Surtain II Announcement Ahead of Super Bowl LIX

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jay Postrado | Last updated Feb 7, 2025 5:30 AM ET

Receivers have become tougher to guard in the past years but this did not seem like a problem for a certain Alabama Crimson Tide product. Patrick Surtain II may have already transitioned into the Denver Broncos but his teachings from Coach Nick Saban clearly stuck with him.

It was all proven during his huge win at the NFL Honors.

Patrick Surtain II is the AP Defensive Player of the Year for 2025. The Broncos cornerback was great at preventing offensive weapons from popping off and he did it all while executing some of the most flawless man coverage in league history.

Surtain broke a nearly half-century drought of the Broncos winning the award. The last person to have won it for Denver was Randy Gradishar, who received the honor way back in 1978.

Moreover, he also propelled his squad into team success. Surtain was able to force four interceptions with a gain of 132 yards and even a total of 45 combined tackles. The insanely talented cornerback was a large reason that the Broncos got back into the postseason after 10 years of not being close enough.

All of these great feats in the NFL were expected of him since he got drafted ninth overall in 2021. While playing for Alabama, Surtain had already racked up an All-American honor and bagged the 2020 SEC Defensive Player of the Year award.

He is just 24 years old which means that the Broncos and Alabama fans have a lot more years to cheer for his success.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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