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The Heisman Through The Years

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 9, 2007

The Heisman Through The Years

WHO WAS HEISMAN?

John W. Heisman was the first Director of Athletics at New York's Downtown Athletic Club, coming to the position in 1930 after 36 seasons of football coaching (including a 102-29-6 record at Georgia Tech from 1904-19).

Heisman died on Oct. 3, 1936, less than a year after Jay Berwanger was named the first winner of the Downtown Athletic Club Award. It was named the Heisman Memorial Trophy shortly after his death.

THE TROPHY

It was created by sculptor Frank Eliscu, who used Ed Smith, a running back at New York University, as a model. Fordham coach "Sleepy Jim" Crowley suggested the trophy's model should use a stiff-arm pose. The Heisman Trophy has always been cast at the Roman Bronze Foundry in Corona, Queens, N.Y. It has never changed in appearance. It is 14 inches long, 6 1/2 inches wide and 13 1/2 inches high. It weighs 25 pounds. A slightly smaller version of the original trophy is given each year to the winner and his university.

HEISMAN TRIVIA

* Houston QB Andre Ware (1989) is the only winner to come from a team on NCAA probation. None of his games were televised.

* Georgia RB Frank Sinkwich (1942) became head football coach at the University of Tampa.

* Iowa RB Nile Kinnick (1939) was named Associated Press Athlete of the Year. The runners-up were Joe DiMaggio and Joe Louis.

* Ohio State RB Vic Janowicz (1950) was the last Heisman winner to not wear a face mask.

* When Wisconsin RB Alan "The Horse" Ameche (1954) returned to his hometown of Kenosha, Wis., the citizens held a hometown ceremony and gave him gifts — including a horse.

* Syracuse RB Ernie Davis (1961) was the first African-American winner.

* Three months after winning the Heisman, Oregon State QB Terry Baker (1962) played in the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four.

* Three consecutive Heisman Trophy winners — Georgia RB Herschel Walker (1982), Nebraska RB Mike Rozier (1983) and Boston College QB Doug Flutie (1984) — bypassed the NFL for the USFL.

* Alcorn State QB Steve McNair finished third in 1994, garnering 111 first-place votes, the highest total for a Division I-AA player.

* TCU QB Davey O'Brien (1938) and Notre Dame WR Tim Brown (1987) attended the same high school — Woodrow Wilson HS in Dallas.

BUCCANEER HEISMAN CONNECTION

Three Heisman Trophy winners played for the Bucs:

* Florida QB Steve Spurrier (1966)
* Miami QB Vinny Testaverde (1986)
* Notre Dame WR Tim Brown (1987)?

One Heisman Trophy winner was drafted by the Bucs, but signed a professional baseball contract:

* Auburn RB Bo Jackson (1985)

Here are other Bucs players who finished in the top five of Heisman voting:

* Notre Dame QB Terry Hanratty (1968, third)
* USC RB Anthony Davis (1974, second)
* USC RB Ricky Bell (1976, second; 1975, third)
* Grambling QB Doug Williams (1977, fourth)
* Penn State QB Chuck Fusina (1978, second)
* Pittsburgh LB Hugh Green (1980, second)
* Brigham Young QB Steve Young (1983, second)
* Miami QB Steve Walsh (1988, fourth)
* Florida State QB Casey Weldon (1991, second)
* Notre Dame RB Reggie Brooks (1992, fifth)
* Florida State RB Warrick Dunn (1996, fifth)
* Georgia Tech QB Joe Hamilton (1999, second)

TAMPA BAY TIES

Four Tampa Bay area natives have finished in the top 10 of Heisman voting:

* Tennessee LB Steve Kiner (1969, ninth) of Hillsborough High.
* Florida State QB Gary Huff (1972, 10th) of Leto High.
* Tulane QB Shaun King (1998, 10th) of Gibbs High.
* USC WR Mike Williams (2003, eighth) of Plant High.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

The top Heisman Trophy finishes for Archie Manning and his sons, Peyton and Eli.

* Ole Miss QB Archie Manning (1970, third)
* Tennessee QB Peyton Manning (1997, second)
* Ole Miss QB Eli Manning (2003, third)

SECOND-PLACE FINISHERS

Here are some interesting second-place finishers in the Heisman Trophy balloting:

Season Player School Comment Heisman Winner

1937 RB Byron White Colorado Whizzer became Supreme Court Justice Yale QB Clint Frank
1949 RB Charlie Justice North Carolina Also second as junior in 1948 Notre Dame E Leon Hart
1956 RB Johnny Majors Tennessee Successful coach with Pitt, Tennessee Notre Dame QB Paul Hornung
1957 DT Alex Karras Iowa Became perennial NFL All-Pro with Lions Texas A&M RB John David Crow
1966 QB Bob Griese Purdue Boilermakers have never won a Heisman Florida QB Steve Spurrier
1970 QB Joe Theisman Notre Dame Name actually pronounced Thees-man Stanford QB Jim Plunkett
1971 RB Ed Marinaro Cornell Went on to become a television star Auburn QB Pat Sullivan
1982 QB John Elway Stanford Elway never played in a bowl game Georgia RB Herschel Walker
1995 QB Tommie Frazier Nebraska Manatee product got 218 first-place votes Ohio State RB Eddie George
2001 QB Rex Grossman Florida Nearly became Spurrier's second winner Nebraska QB Eric Crouch
2004 RB Adrian Peterson Oklahoma Only freshman to finish second USC QB Matt Leinart

DEE-FENSE! DEE-FENSE!

It's the 10th anniversary of Michigan CB Charles Woodson becoming the first primary defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy. No defensive player has finished in the top
five since then.

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