The Presidents' Trophy is an annual Canadian sports award presented to the most outstanding defensive player in U Sports football. The trophy was first presented in 1980 after having been championed by two past presidents of Canadian university sports bodies. The name indirectly honours Ed Zemrau, past president of U Sports (then known as the Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union); and Robert Doty, past president of Canada's university football championship game, then known as the College Bowl and now as the Vanier Cup.[1]
| Year | Winner | School | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Rich Payne | Wilfrid Laurier | |
| 1981 | Mike Emery | UBC | |
| 1982 | Mike Emery | UBC | |
| 1983 | Tom Timlin | Carleton | |
| 1984 | Larry Oglesby | Mount Allison | |
| 1985 | Darcy Kopp | Calgary | |
| 1986 | Mark Norman | UBC | |
| 1987 | Brent Lewis | Western | |
| 1988 | Leroy Blugh | Bishop's | |
| 1989 | Mark Singer | Alberta | |
| 1990 | Randy Power | Mount Allison | |
| 1991 | Ray Bernard | Bishop's | |
| 1992 | Alex Eliopoulos | Saint Mary's | |
| 1993 | Lou Tiro | Toronto | |
| 1994 | Cory Delaney | Waterloo | |
| 1995 | Paul Frlan | StFX | |
| 1996 | Derek Krete | Western | |
| 1997 | Jason Van Geel | Waterloo | |
| 1998 | Warren Muzika | Saskatchewan | |
| 1999 | Mike Letendre | Saskatchewan | |
| 2000 | Joey Mikawoz | Manitoba | |
| 2001 | David Stipe | Bishop's | |
| 2002 | Adam MacDonald | StFX | |
| 2003 | Neil McKinlay | Simon Fraser | |
| 2004 | Mickey Donovan | Concordia | |
| 2005 | Patrick Donovan | Concordia | |
| 2006 | Patrick Donovan | Concordia | |
| 2007 | Mat Nesbitt | Regina | |
| 2008 | Thaine Carter | Queen's | |
| 2009 | Cory Greenwood | Concordia | |
| 2010 | Henoc Muamba | StFX | |
| 2011 | Max Caron | Concordia | |
| 2012 | Frédéric Plesius | Laval | |
| 2013 | Pawel Kruba | Western | |
| 2014 | Jonathan Langa | Saint Mary's | |
| 2015 | John Rush | Guelph | |
| 2016 | D. J. Lalama | Manitoba | |
| 2017 | Adam Auclair | Laval | |
| 2018 | Fraser Sopik | Western | |
| 2019 | Nelson Lokombo | Saskatchewan | |
| 2021 | Josiah Schakel | Alberta | |
| 2022 | Nicky Farinaccio | Montreal | |
| 2023 | Harold Miessan | Montreal |