The NFL’s single-season sacks leader is also the league’s defensive player of the year.

After coming close the previous two seasons, T.J. Watt won the AP award given to the NFL’s top defensive player Thursday night. The announcement was made at the NFL Honors awards ceremony in Los Angeles, site of Super Bowl LVI.

Capping a season in which he tied the single-season record with 221⁄2 sacks, the Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker was named the NFL’s top defensive player for the first time in his five-year career.

Watt earned 42 of a possible 48 votes. Dallas Cowboys rookie linebacker Micah Parsons of Penn State received five votes, and Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald of Pitt and Penn Hills got the other three.

Watt is starting to catch up to older brother J.J. Watt, a three-time winner who pocketed the award after the 2012, ’14 and ’15 seasons.

J.J. Watt, along with pop singer Katy Perry, presented the award, which kicked off the 2-hour ceremony.

“It’s important,” T.J. Watt said when asked about the award’s significance. “To be able to be recognized as the best defensive player of the year is something that I strive to be. I’m not huge on individual goals, but it’s tough for me not to want that when I saw my brother at the height of his career win the award three times.

“I always thought to myself, why can’t I do that?”

Watt thanked his parents, brothers, fiancee, teammates, coaches and everyone in the Steelers organization “from the guys in the cafeteria to the guys that are taping ankles.”

Steelers teammate Cameron Heyward, who was at the ceremony as the team’s representative for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, tweeted his appreciation for Watt.

“He freaking did it!!! Congrats my @_TJWatt,” Heyward wrote.

A finalist for the third year in a row, Watt finished second behind Donald in 2020 and third in 2019 when New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore won.

Donald won the award in three of the previous four seasons.

Watt is the seventh Steelers player to win the award. Joe Greene (1972, ’74) is the only two-time winner in franchise history. The others are Mel Blount (1975), Jack Lambert (1976), Rod Woodson (1993), James Harrison (2008) and Troy Polamalu (2010).

“That’s why I was so honored to be drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Watt said. “Talk about the legacy and amount of legends that have walked through those (halls). If those guys played in that system and were so successful and won awards like this, why can’t we do it, too? Why can’t I do it?”

Watt tied Michael Strahan’s single-season record despite missing two games and parts of four others because of injury. Factoring in his NFL-high 15 sacks in 2020, Watt became just the third player to lead the NFL in sacks in consecutive seasons, joining Reggie White (1987-88) and Mark Gastineau (1983-84).

Watt’s importance to the Steelers defensive is reflected in this stat: The Steelers were 8-2-1 when Watt had at least one sack in a game in 2021 and a 1-5 record when he didn’t.

Watt’s season was a continuation of the accolades he built since entering the NFL in 2017. Since his arrival, his 72 sacks and 150 quarterback hits are the most in the NFL. His 811⁄2 tackles for loss rank second in that span, with 44 coming over the past two seasons. Since 2019, he also leads the NFL with 19 forced fumbles.

“I approach football very personally, and I dedicate my life to being the best football player that I can possibly be, the best teammate I can be,” Watt said. “I know there is always going to be room for improvement. I’m never going to reach the levels I want to, but I’m going to give it my all to try to be, for sure.”

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was named NFL MVP for the fourth time in his career and second year in a row. He got 39 votes, and Tampa Bay Bucs quarterback Tom Brady was second with 10.

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp was named AP Offensive Player of the Year.

Parsons won the league’s defensive rookie of the year award. The top rookie was Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was picked as the comeback player of the year.

The Coach of the Year went to Mike Vrabel of the Tennessee Titans. Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was named the assistant coach of the year.

Rams tackle Andrew Whitworth received the Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his charitable work and contributions on the field.

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