The History and Significance of Freshman Heisman Trophy Winners

The Heisman Memorial Trophy, often referred to as the Heisman Trophy, stands as the most prestigious individual award in American college football. Awarded annually since 1935, it recognizes the most outstanding player in the sport. The Heisman Trophy Trust presents the award each December, following the regular season. The trophy is awarded for outstanding performance which best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity.

Origins and Evolution of the Heisman Trophy

The Downtown Athletic Club (DAC) in New York City established the DAC Trophy in 1935 to honor the best college football player "east of the Mississippi River." Jay Berwanger from the University of Chicago received the inaugural award. Berwanger was later drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League but declined to sign with them. He never played professional football for any team, instead choosing to pursue a career in business. In 1936, following the death of the club's athletic director, football pioneer John Heisman, the trophy was renamed in his honor. Larry Kelley, the second winner of the award, was the first to win it as the "Heisman Trophy". In addition to the name change, the award also became a nationwide achievement.

The Heisman Trophy is a bronze sculpture created by Frank Eliscu, modeled after Ed Smith, a prominent player for New York University in 1934. The trophy stands 13.5 inches tall, 14 inches long, and 16 inches wide, weighing 45 pounds.

Milestones in Heisman Trophy History

Several significant milestones mark the history of the Heisman Trophy:

1961: Syracuse running back Ernie Davis became the first African American player to win the Heisman. He was diagnosed with leukemia shortly after winning the award and died in 1963, never playing a snap in the NFL.
1974 and 1975: Ohio State's Archie Griffin achieved the unprecedented feat of winning the Heisman in back-to-back years. At 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, he was the Buckeyes starting tailback all four years, at time in which they tallied a 40-5-1 record and four Big Ten titles. Through 12 games as a junior, Griffin rushed 1,695 yards for 12 touchdowns.
2007: Florida quarterback Tim Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman.
2012: Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel became the first redshirt freshman to win the award.
2013: Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston became the second redshirt freshman to win the award.

Colleges With the Most Heisman Awards

Since 1935, the Heisman award has been claimed by players at 39 different programs. Eight players from USC have won Heismans, making the school the winningest program. The NCAA and The Heisman Trophy trust currently recognize seven of USC’s wins. Three other universities have had seven players win Heismans: Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Oklahoma. During the 87 years that the Heisman has been awarded, the top four universities have accounted for nearly one-third of winners (32%). The most recent Heisman winner - Travis Hunter - plays for Colorado. Army, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, and Nebraska have each had three players win the Heisman.

Read also: Heisman Trophy History

The Unique Case of Reggie Bush

The count of which colleges have the most Heisman Trophy winners includes the 2005 Heisman Trophy awarded to USC’s Reggie Bush. Technically, Bush forfeited the Heisman in 2010, following NCAA investigation that he violated college athlete compensation rules at the time. Bush returned the trophy, and USC returned its replica trophy. Since then, college athlete compensation rules have changed, and players are allowed to earn money for marketing activities. The NCAA has not reinstated Bush’s Heisman. However, on April 24, 2024, the Heisman Trust announced the formal reinstatement of Reggie Bush's trophy amid what it called "enormous changes in the college football landscape".

Two-Time Heisman-Winning Programs

Eight college football programs are tied for having two Heisman Trophy winners.

Colorado: Rashaan Salaam (1994), Travis Hunter (2024)
Georgia: Frank Sinkwich (1942), Herschel Walker (1982)
Miami (FL): Vinny Testaverde (1986), Gino Torretta (1992)
Navy: Joe Bellino (1960), Roger Staubach (1963)
Texas: Earl Campbell (1977), Ricky Williams (1998)
Texas A&M: John David Crow (1957), Johnny Manziel (2012)
Wisconsin: Alan Ameche (1954), Ron Dayne (1999)
Yale: Larry Kelley (1936), Clint Frank (1937)

One-Time Heisman-Winning Programs

Twenty-one additional programs are tied for having one Heisman Trophy winner each.

Baylor: Robert Griffin III (2011)
Boston College: Doug Flutie (1984)
BYU: Ty Detmer (1990)
Chicago: Jay Berwanger (1935)
Houston: Andre Ware (1989)
Iowa: Nile Kinnick (1939)
Louisville: Lamar Jackson (2016)
Minnesota: Bruce Smith (1941)
Oklahoma State: Barry Sanders (1988)
Oregon: Marcus Mariota (2014)
Oregon State: Terry Baker (1962)
Penn State: John Cappelletti (1973)
Pitt: Tony Dorsett (1976)
Princeton: Dick Kazmaier (1951)
SMU: Doak Walker (1948)
South Carolina: George Rogers (1980)
Stanford: Jim Plunkett (1970)
Syracuse: Ernie Davis (1961)
TCU: Davey O’Brien (1938)
UCLA: Gary Beban (1967)

The Selection Process

A selection committee makes the decision through a balloting process. Each state in a region has a certain number of votes allotted to it depending on the size of the state and the number of media outlets within it. However, each region receives 145 media votes total. Former Heisman Trophy recipients can also each cast a single vote for the player that they believe to be the best in the country. Additionally, since 1999, a special program has allowed the public to vote, and whoever receives the majority vote from the public gets one additional ballot cast in their favor. In 2023, there was a grand total of 928 votes. An independent accounting firm tallies the votes. Whichever player receives the most votes wins the Heisman Trophy. The Heisman ballots contain a 3-2-1 point system, in which each ballot ranks the voter's top three players and awards them three points for a first-place vote, two points for a second-place vote, and one point for a third-place vote.

Positional Trends in Heisman Winners

Running backs make up nearly half of all Heisman winners. Since 1935, 43 running backs have won, including the first-ever Heisman winner. Quarterbacks have received the second-most Heismans, with 38 wins. Eleven of the last 14 winners since 2010 have been quarterbacks. Players in other offensive positions have won Heismans, including tight ends and wide receivers. Only one defensive player has ever won the Heisman Trophy. Charles Woods, a cornerback, won in 1997 as a Michigan Wolverine. Notably, 2024’s winner, Travis Hunter, was both a cornerback and wide receiver.

Read also: The Heisman and First-Year Players

Underclassmen Heisman Winners

Up until 2007, only upperclassmen had won the Heisman. Since then, eight underclassmen (sophomores and freshmen) have won, including redshirt freshmen Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston in back-to-back years in 2012 and 2013. The vast majority of winners (69%) have been senior players. About 23% of the winners have been juniors. The first junior won the Heisman in 1945, and since then, 19 other juniors have won. All underclassmen recipients have been quarterbacks besides Mark Ingram, the winner from 2009, who played as a running back for the Crimson Tide.

Johnny Manziel: A Trailblazer

Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M made history in 2012 as the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy. Manziel was born in Tyler, Texas, but prepped at Kerrville’s Tivy High. An exciting all-around athlete, Manziel’s dual-threat quarterbacking skills were highly coveted by several schools including Baylor, Colorado State, Louisiana Tech, Iowa State, Rice, Stanford, Tulsa, Wyoming and Oregon, where he originally committed (along with 2014 Heisman winner Marcus Mariota) in the summer of 2010. But Manziel switched allegiances to A&M on Sept. 20, 2010, and signed with the Aggies the following February. After redshirting in 2011, he burst on to the scene in 2012, piling up an SEC-record 4,600 yards of total offense while leading A&M to a 10-2 regular season record in its first season in the fabled league. Manziel threw for 3,419 yards and 24 touchdowns while adding 1,181 yards with 19 scores on the ground. The key game in his Heisman resume came when he led the Aggies to a 29-24 upset of No. 1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, totaling 345 yards of total offense while ripping off several highlight-reel plays. For his efforts, he was named the SEC Freshman of the Year, the Davey O’Brien winner and the 77th recipient of the Heisman Trophy. He later led Texas A&M to a 41-13 smashing of Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl, as he produced 516 yards of offense and four touchdowns. Manziel returned to school in 2013 and threw for 4,114 yards and 37 touchdowns while rushing for 759 yards and nine scores. His two-year total offense and touchdown total: A remarkable 9,989 yards and 93 scores. He was once again voted to the Heisman ceremony as a finalist, finishing fifth behind Jameis Winston. Following the 2013 season, Manziel made himself available to the NFL draft.

Jameis Winston: Following Suit

In 2013, Jameis Winston of Florida State became the second redshirt freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, continuing the trend of underclassmen success. Winston delivered a national title to Florida State and won the Heisman Trophy in the process, and then followed that up by getting the Seminoles into the first-ever College Football Playoff. Winston became the 20th Heisman Trophy winner (and eighth Heisman-winning quarterback) to become a No. 1 overall selection in the NFL draft. After a slow start to his rookie season, Winston improved his play and earned a Pro Bowl nod as an injury replacement. Winston's 4,042 passing yards are the third-most by a rookie in NFL history and his 22 touchdown passes are tied for the fourth-most by a rookie in NFL history. In Week 11, Winston threw five touchdowns with no interceptions and joined Ray Buivid.

Heisman-Winning Programs by Decade

The distribution of Heisman winners across different programs has varied throughout the decades.

1930s: Yale
1940s: Notre Dame
1950s: Ohio State & Notre Dame
1960s: Navy & USC
1970s: Ohio State
1980s: No majority winner
1990s: Michigan
2000s: USC
2010s: Oklahoma
2020s: Alabama

Read also: Jackson's Heisman Triumph

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