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