Posted: 11/12/2008 by Bryce Wilson
Every November for the last 35-plus years I’d begin narrowing my Heisman Trophy list.
I’d look forward to my ballot because it was a special envelope I so enjoyed opening, about as much as that well-wrapped box the blue-and-yellow Alaska Railroad Lionel engine came in my dad bought for me one Christmas back home in Pittsburgh.
The Heisman Trophy is a sacred award you cannot take your eyes off. Once, at his home in Durham, Steve Spurrier, the 1966 winner as the Florida quarterback, showed me a copy of his. It was sitting on top of his television. The real one was at The University of Florida.
Spurrier knew the significance of being a Heisman winner. For the rest of your life, he said, so many people preface your name “Heisman Trophy winner . . .”
The award is supposed to be presented to the “best player in college football” and, like many aspects of society, not everyone agrees with every choice.
John William Heisman, born Oct. 23, 1869 in Cleveland, grew up on the oil fields of northwest Pennsylvania, in Titusville. He coached at a variety of places, including Auburn, Clemson, Penn, Washington & Jefferson and Rice, but his most-impressive years were at Georgia Tech where, from 1904-1919, his team once won 33 consecutive games.
When Heisman was named the initial athletic director of the Downtown Athletic Club of New York City, some insisted the organization give a yearly award to the best player. According to published reports, Heisman opposed the idea – and wanted a “team award” instead – but eventually gave in.
On Oct. 3, 1936 Chicago’s Jay Berwanger became the first winner of the Heisman Memorial Trophy. Berwanger ran (for 1,839 yards), passed (for another 921), scored (22 touchdowns), kicked extra points (20 of ‘em), kicked off (34 times for a 46.3 avg.) and punted (233 times for a 38 yard avg.). Oh yes, he accounted for 152 points in 23 games.
History confirms only one player – Notre Dame’s Paul Hornung in 1956 – won the Heisman Trophy on a losing team. The ’56 Fighting Irish finished 2-8.
Hornung came through Durham a couple years ago and told me “I had a helluva season in 1955 (Notre Dame finished 8-2) and I finished fifth (in the Heisman voting) behind (Howard) Hopalong Cassady. The other three players ahead of me (TCU’s Jim Swink, Navy’s George Welsh and Michigan State’s Earl Morrall) were seniors, so that made me the front-runner in 1956. Johnny Majors and I are great friends.”
Majors finished No. 2 in the balloting in ’56, as a Tennessee halfback. While coaching Pitt in the mid-1970s, Majors told me “Beating Notre Dame is always special.”
Hey . . . some things you just don’t forget, like the ONLY Heisman Trophy winner on a losing team beat you out!
Ohio State’s Archie Griffin is the only player to win the Heisman Trophy twice. He did it in 1974, finishing ahead of No. 2 Anthony Davis of Southern Cal, and in 1975, finishing ahead of No. 2 Chuck Muncie of California.
On Sept. 30, 1972 I was sitting in the press box at Ohio Stadium covering North Carolina-Ohio State when a then-virtually-unknown Buckeye, wearing jersey No. 45, entered the game. He was not listed on the flip card (depth chart) handed to the media.
Here’s what I wrote in the Monday, Oct. 2, 1972 Durham Sun from that game:
* “COLUMBUS, Ohio – Here Saturday afternoon under the thick grayish skies of the Ohio flatlands, a freshman named Archie Griffin rambled onto the field and spectacularly put himself in the Ohio State record book.
Griffin, who only started class here on Wednesday, who grew up here in the shadows of Buckeye greats of yesteryear, carried the football 27 times for 239 yards, which is a new OhioState single game rushing record.
His assault led OhioState to a 29-14 win over previously-undefeated North Carolina.” *
At the time of witnessing Griffin’s first great game, I couldn’t put a value on what I’d seen. Time took care of that. Interviewing Griffin after the game, here’s what he said:
“It’s kind of unbelievable. I mean I don’t believe I gained all those yards. I never thought I’d get to play because I fumbled the ball against Iowa and besides, we’ve got so many good running backs. But I got my chance and I just did my best.”
After listening to Griffin, I couldn’t resist going to Woody Hayes’ press conference. Here’s what Hayes said about his then-rookie running back:
“Archie spoke for himself. What makes a kid that good? I don’t know. He has power and speed, a definite sense of timing. He’s strong – at 184 pounds, he’s not skinny. He is built like a man – has that natural knack to make the big play.”
On Sept. 22, 1984 at Foxborough, Mass., I watched Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie throw six touchdown passes in a 52-20 rout of North Carolina. Mike Lupica, a BC grad, was in the press box that night and asked me what I thought of “the little guy?”
Flutie is the ONLY college quarterback I’ve ever been able to look directly into the eyes of. I mean, the guy is not real big but that night he completed 28-of-38 passes for 354 yards and BC led 31-0. Flutie was pulled early in the fourth quarter. Oh, by the way, it’s the most points vs. UNC in the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s.
Well, I walked out of the press box that night knowing who I’d vote for the Heisman Trophy. By the way, Temple running back Paul Palmer was No. 2 in the voting that year.
Six years later a box showed up on my desk at The Durham Sun and in it was a necktie – honest. It was from the PR people at BYU and the note said, “Why shouldn’t the Heisman Trophy end in a Ty?”
See what a good public relations stunt can do? Ty Detmer, the 1990 Heisman winner, finished ahead of No. 2 Raghib Ismail of Notre Dame.
Honesty is the best policy, I was once told. With that in mind, on the night of Nov. 20, 1993 my seat in the Florida State press box was a special one because it was Charlie Ward’s final home game. He put on a clinic in a 62-3 demolition of N.C. State. In that shotgun offense, he looked like a point guard on a great basketball team, backpeddling, running sideways and straight ahead and, then backwards, and then . . . throwing downfield. Heath Shuler, the Tennessee QB who finished No. 2 that season to Ward, had no such spectacular moves.
Why this season’s Heisman chase could – and should – be so unpredictable is because the candidates have all shown Griffin-Flutie-Ward-like performances.
- Last Saturday:Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harell completed 40-of-50 passes – 6 touchdowns/no interceptions - in the Red Raiders’ win over Oklahoma State.
- Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, completed 12-of-17 passes – 4 touchdowns/no interceptions – in the Gators’ win at Vanderbilt.
- Texas quarterback Colt McCoy completed 26-of-37 passes – 5 touchdowns/2 interceptions – in the Longhorns’ win over Baylor.
- Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford completed 22-of-33 passes – 4 touchdowns/0 interceptions – in the Sooners’ win at Texas A&M.
Voting for the Heisman Trophy remains unique. The actual ballots include a space for electors to designate three individuals. The first choice receives 3 points in the overall voting tabulation, the second choice receives 2 points and the third choice receives 1 point.
The Heisman Committee created the point system in an effort to eliminate sectional favoritism.
And this year’s winner is? I haven’t a clue yet.
Frank Dascenzo
Columnist
frank@thebigtailgate.com
Frank Dascenzo started his career at The Durham Sun in 1969 by interviewing a young basketball player named "Pistol" Pete Maravich.
Since then, he has interviewed major figures from the sports world at venues including the Final Four of men's college basketball and the Stanley Cup finals.
He was promoted to sports editor of the Sun in January of 1974.
Frank became a full time columnist in 1991 when the Sun and the Durham Morning Herald merged.
He covered both of North Carolina's championship runs under Dean Smith and its most recent title under Roy Williams. And of course he has chronicled the entire Mike Krzyzewski era at Duke, including the Blue Devils' three NCAA championships. In 2006, he added the Carolina Hurricanes' run to the Stanley Cup championship to his résumé.