Heisman Trophy Winners: A Look at Freshmen and the Award's History
The Heisman Memorial Trophy, often called simply the Heisman, has been awarded annually since 1935 to the most outstanding player in college football. Presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust in December after the regular season, it is widely regarded as the most prestigious individual award in the sport. The trophy symbolizes outstanding performance, and also "the pursuit of excellence with integrity".
Heisman Trophy: Origins and Evolution
The award was first presented in 1935 by the Downtown Athletic Club (DAC) in New York City and was initially known as the DAC Trophy. The first recipient was Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago. The trophy was renamed in 1936 in honor of John Heisman, a prominent figure in college football as a player, coach, and athletic director. The award also transitioned from recognizing the best college player "east of the Mississippi River" to a nationwide honor.
The trophy itself, designed by sculptor Frank Eliscu, is modeled after Ed Smith, a leading player from New York University in 1934. It is made of cast bronze and measures 13.5 inches tall, 14 inches long, and 16 inches wide, weighing 45 pounds.
The Voting Process
The Heisman Trophy voting process involves a positional voting system. Each voter selects three players, ranking them in order. A first-place vote earns three points, a second-place vote earns two points, and a third-place vote earns one point. Ballots are submitted by sports journalists from six regions and previous Heisman winners. One fan vote is also counted. The nation is divided into six regions-each of which get 145 votes. Put another way, each region gets exactly 16.67 percent of the votes. However, each region does not constitute an even one-sixth of the population. Three regions (Far West, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic) have larger populations than 16.67% of the national population; and three have less (Northeast, South, and Southwest).
Position of Winners
Historically, the Heisman Trophy has primarily been awarded to running backs and quarterbacks. Only four wide receivers have ever won the award: Tim Brown (1987), Desmond Howard (1991), DeVonta Smith (2020), and Travis Hunter (2024). Two tight ends, Larry Kelley (1936) and Leon Hart (1949), have also been named winners.
Read also: The Heisman and First-Year Players
Defensive players have rarely won the Heisman Trophy. The highest finish for a player who played exclusively on defense is second place, achieved by defensive end Hugh Green of Pittsburgh in 1980, linebacker Manti Te'o of Notre Dame in 2012, and defensive end Aidan Hutchinson of Michigan in 2021. Despite John Heisman's background as an interior lineman, no interior lineman has ever won the award.
Freshman Heisman Winners
For most of its history, the Heisman Trophy was typically awarded to seniors. However, this trend shifted in the 21st century. Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman in 2012. The following year, Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston also won the Heisman. Both Manziel and Winston were redshirt freshmen, meaning they were in their second year of college but their first year playing on the field. No true freshman (a player in their first year of college) has ever won the award.
Sophomore Heisman Winners
Before 2007, no sophomore had ever won the Heisman Trophy. However, from 2007 to 2016, four sophomores claimed the award: Tim Tebow (2007), Sam Bradford (2008), Mark Ingram II (2009), and Lamar Jackson (2016). Sam Bradford was a redshirt sophomore, while Tebow, Ingram, and Jackson won during their second year of college attendance.
Players Who Finished in the Top Three as Underclassmen
Some players have finished in the top three of the Heisman voting as freshmen or sophomores before winning the award later in their careers. These include Angelo Bertelli, Glenn Davis, Doc Blanchard, Doak Walker, and Herschel Walker. Other players have finished in the top three as freshmen or sophomores but never won the Heisman. These include Clint Castleberry, Marshall Faulk, Michael Vick, Rex Grossman, Larry Fitzgerald, Adrian Peterson, Deshaun Watson, and Christian McCaffrey.
Heisman Trophy: Interesting Facts
USC has the most Heisman trophies won with eight.
Read also: Jackson's Heisman Triumph
Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame each have seven.
Ohio State has had six different players win the award.
Archie Griffin (Ohio State) is the only two-time winner of the Heisman Trophy (1974 and 1975).
The closest margin of votes was in 2009 between winner Mark Ingram II of Alabama and Toby Gerhart of Stanford.
Ten Heisman Trophy winners are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Read also: The History of Freshman Heismans
Four winners have also been named Most Valuable Player in a Super Bowl.
Some winners have gone on to play in other professional sports, including Bo Jackson in baseball and Charlie Ward in basketball.
The oldest Heisman winner was Chris Weinke (Florida State), who was 28 years old when he won in 2000.
In 2005, Reggie Bush voluntarily forfeited his title as a Heisman winner. The Heisman Trust announced the formal reinstatement of Reggie Bush's trophy on April 24, 2024.
Criticism and Controversies
The Heisman Trophy has faced criticism regarding regional bias, with some arguing that West Coast players are often overlooked. There have also been controversies surrounding winners who have been involved in NCAA violations, leading to the forfeiture or vacating of their awards.
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