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The Heisman Trophy is the most prestigious award in college football, but not every winner has been without controversy. Here are the 10 least deserving players to win the Heisman.
The Heisman Trophy is the most prestigious award in all of college football. Awarded each year since 1935 to the most outstanding player in the country, the Heisman immortalizes its recipients as all-time legends of the sport. Striking the "Heisman pose" has become an instantly recognizable celebration, allowing even children in youth leagues to channel the spirits of Desmond Howard, Cam Newton, Lamar Jackson, and more.
Not every Heisman winner has been without controversy, though. While some selections were obvious, such as those of Barry Sanders in 1988 and Joe Burrow in 2019, others were far from clear. Debates among college football fans continue to rage to this day about snubs decades ago, as they should. The Heisman is much more than a mere chunk of bronze, as it serves as a source of great pride for the schools that have housed winners.
As the 2023 college football season approaches, it's time to take a look back at the players who received the Heisman yet should not have. It is important to note that successes and failures after the players' Heisman seasons have no bearing on who deserved to win the trophy. Johnny Manziel's struggles with the Cleveland Browns do not take away from his magical 2012 season with Texas A&M. Moreover, two Pro Football Hall of Famers find themselves on this list. Here are the 10 least-deserving Heisman winners of all time.
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Paul Hornung (1956)
Paul Hornung shouldered an incredible amount of responsibilities with Notre Dame in 1956. Hornung was the team's leading passer and rusher, compiling 917 passing yards and three passing touchdowns to go with 420 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. The "Golden Boy" was also the team's return man and punter. Additionally, given the substitution rules at the time, he also played defense, finishing second on the team in interceptions and tackles. Hornung did everything—except win.
The Fighting Irish won just two games in 1956, ending the season 2-8. They were outscored by an average of 15.9 points per game, a major disappointment for the preseason third-ranked team in the land. Hornung is not a blameless superstar in this equation, either. His 13 interceptions on just 111 passing attempts were a high number even for the era. He remains the only player to win the Heisman while on a losing team and was the first to win despite not having the most first-place votes.
Some candidates who were more deserving of the award were Tennessee's Johnny Majors, Oklahoma's Tommy McDonald, and Syracuse's Jim Brown. Majors was versatile like Hornung, but he also led the Vols to a 10-1 record and second-place finish in the final AP poll. McDonald received the most first-place votes and accumulated 1,135 scrimmage yards and 16 touchdowns for the national champion Sooners. Finally, Brown won the voting in the East region and gained 986 rushing yards and 14 scrimmage touchdowns in just eight games.
Pat Sullivan (1971)
Pat Sullivan had a strong season in 1971 for the Auburn Tigers. Sullivan completed 162 of 281 passes for 2,012 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, placing him sixth in the country in completions, seventh in completion percentage, and second in passing touchdowns. He also added two rushing touchdowns to his total. Importantly, Auburn finished the year 9-2 and 12th in the final AP poll, so Sullivan's efforts translated into significant team success.
However, there was another player who put forth a more compelling candidacy for the award: Ed Marinaro, running back for Cornell. Marinaro led the Big Red to an 8-1 record and a split Ivy League title with Dartmouth. Marinaro also led the nation in rushing attempts (356), rushing yards (1,881), plays from scrimmage (362), and yards from scrimmage (1,932). That's right, Marinaro put up those numbers in just nine games, meaning he averaged nearly 40 carries per game for 209 rushing yards. Plus, he scored 24 touchdowns on the year.
Tim Brown (1987)
Tim Brown was not only a great wide receiver for Notre Dame in 1987 but also a legend for the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders in the NFL. However, his production in his Heisman season was not up to par. He was in a difficult situation, to be sure.
Notre Dame's quarterback room was a mess that season. Still, with just 990 scrimmage yards and seven total touchdowns, and with three regular-season losses blemishing the school's resume, Brown's numbers simply were not impressive enough to merit the Heisman, despite all of his talents.
One alternative could have been quarterback Don McPherson of Syracuse. McPherson passed for 2,341 yards and 22 touchdowns to go with 237 rushing yards and six rushing scores for an undefeated squad. However, Holy Cross's Gordon Lockbaum also deserves more attention.
Lockbaum played offense, defense, and special teams for the undefeated Crusaders. He ran the ball 85 times for 403 yards and 13 touchdowns and caught 77 passes for 1,152 yards and 9 touchdowns. He also stood out as a defensive back and return man.
Ty Detmer (1990)
Ty Detmer put up monstrous stats for BYU in 1990. The Cougars quarterback completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 5,188 yards and 41 touchdowns, leading his squad to a 10-2 regular season record. There were only two problems: first, Detmer threw a ridiculous 28 interceptions against WAC competition, which should have been disqualifying for the Heisman race; and second, other players put forth great campaigns.
Do-it-all Notre Dame receiver Raghib "Rocket" Ismail finished second in the voting with 537 rushing yards, 699 receiving yards, and six total touchdowns. Even more impressively, Colorado running back Eric Bieniemy compiled 1,787 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns for the top-ranked Buffaloes.
Finally, consider Houston quarterback David Klingler, who had more passing yards, more passing touchdowns, fewer interceptions, and fewer losses in a stronger conference than Detmer. Klingler earned just seven first-place votes; Detmer was given 316.
Gino Torretta (1992)
The Miami Hurricanes were an elite team in 1992, and quarterback Gino Torretta was a large part of that. Torretta's 3,060 passing yards ranked fifth in the country, and his 19 touchdown passes tied for ninth. He did not provide any rushing production, as he lost 24 yards on the ground for the season, but that did not hold Miami back. The Hurricanes were 11-0 before losing in the de facto national championship Sugar Bowl to Alabama.
Yet, was Torretta truly the most deserving option in 1992? Many fans will point to second-place finisher Marshall Faulk as an example of a Heisman snub. Faulk rushed for 1,630 yards and 15 touchdowns, but his San Diego State Aztecs finished just 5-5-1. The more compelling argument is that Georgia running back Garrison Hearst should have won the Heisman. Hearst gained 1,871 scrimmage yards and 21 touchdowns for a Bulldogs squad that finished the season ranked eighth in the country.
Eric Crouch (2001)
Quarterback Eric Crouch played well for the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 2001. Although his passing numbers were lackluster, as he threw for only 1,510 yards and seven touchdowns with 10 interceptions, his rushing production more than made up for it. Crouch carried the ball 203 times for 1,115 yards and 18 scores, and he also caught a 63-yard touchdown pass. Most importantly, Nebraska qualified for the BCS National Championship against Miami due to the team's great success.
Still, Florida quarterback Rex Grossman should have won the Heisman. Grossman completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 3,896 yards and 34 touchdowns in just 11 games, and he found the endzone five times on the ground as well.
He led the country in yards per pass attempt and passing efficiency rating, and he had the most passing yards and passing touchdowns of any power conference player. With Florida also finishing the regular season 9-2, Grossman should have been able to add the Heisman to his AP Player of the Year Award.
Carson Palmer (2002)
Carson Palmer had a great 2002 campaign at quarterback for the USC Trojans, completing 63.2 percent of his passes for 3,942 yards and 33 touchdowns. While his rushing yards were in the negative (-122), he did still reach paydirt four times on the ground too. USC entered bowl season ranked fifth in the AP Poll with a 10-2 record, and after their 38-17 Orange Bowl win over Iowa, they finished the year having averaged 35.8 points per game on offense.
However, a member of that Iowa team deserved more recognition. Quarterback Brad Banks threw for 2,573 yards, added 423 more on rushes, and scored 31 total touchdowns. He also led Iowa to a third-place ranking in the AP Poll entering the Orange Bowl, which took place after the Heisman voting.
The Hawkeyes had averaged 38.9 points per game before that defeat. Additionally, Miami RB Willis McGahee had a Heisman-caliber season with 1,753 rushing yards and 28 rushing touchdowns for a Miami team that reached the BCS National Championship.
Jason White (2003)
The Oklahoma Sooners benefitted from quarterback Jason White's extremely productive season in 2003. White passed for 3,846 yards and 40 touchdowns with just 10 interceptions, leading Oklahoma to the (controversially-selected) BCS National Championship versus the LSU Tigers. Making these feats even more impressive is the fact that White had torn both of his ACLs within the previous two seasons.
Despite the comeback story, Jason White was not the best college football player in 2003. Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald was. Fitzgerald caught 92 passes for 1,672 yards and 22 touchdowns, accounting for 44.6 percent of the team's receiving yards and 57.9 percent of the team's receiving touchdowns. Although he won the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and the Fred Biletnikoff Award, Fitzgerald should have received even more hardware for his efforts.
Mark Ingram (2009)
Running back Mark Ingram turned in a superb season with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2009, gaining 1,658 yards on 271 carries (6.1 YPC) and scoring 17 rushing touchdowns. Ingram also added 334 receiving yards on 32 catches and three more scores through the air. He propelled his team to an undefeated season and brought a National Championship to Tuscaloosa, earning the Heisman Trophy in the process.
Despite Ingram's formidable body of work, the 2009 season featured one of the most head-scratching voting decisions in recent memory. Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh posted 20.5 tackles for loss including 12.0 sacks, three blocked kicks, 10 pass breakups, and an interception.
His 6.0-TFL, 4.5-sack performance in a 13-12 Big 12 Championship Game loss was absurd, and Nebraska finished the year with the number-one scoring defense in the nation. Suh finishing fourth in the Heisman voting proves how unfair the process is to defensive players.
Derrick Henry (2015)
Interestingly enough, the two least-deserving Heisman recipients in the past 15 years are both Alabama running backs. Derrick Henry undoubtedly had a great year, as he rushed for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns for a dominant Crimson Tide squad. Henry was particularly effective in key games. He rushed for 236 yards against Texas A&M, 210 versus LSU, 204 against Mississippi State, 189 versus Florida in the SEC Championship Game, and 158 against Clemson in the National Championship.
For all of his feats, though, Henry still should have finished second in the Heisman voting to Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey was an electric, versatile weapon for the Cardinal, gaining 2,019 rushing yards, 645 receiving yards, 13 scrimmage touchdowns, a kick return touchdown, and a punt return touchdown. Although McCaffreys' incredible Rose Bowl performance occurred after the voting, many fans still wonder if his location on the West Coast prevented voters from seeing his talents in their full glory.
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