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Winning Heisman Not An Easy Task

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 14, 2008

REPEAT AFTER ME

Florida junior quarterback Tim Tebow was the 10th player to win the Heisman Trophy and return for another season in college football. Tebow won his Heisman as a sophomore, but all of the others won the award as juniors. Here's how the nine others fared in Heisman voting during their senior seasons.

COMING CLOSE

Here are non-Heisman winners from the state of Florida who finished near the top of the voting:

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 to 1919).

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, 61/2 inches wide and 131/2 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), left, 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 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 High in Dallas.

BUCS 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 former 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)

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