HEISMAN CHANCES AS DEFENDING RUNNER-UP
By mark rogers
March 14, 2009
I know it's been a few months since Colt McCoy came in second place in the final Heisman vote, but I thought I'd take a look back at history and see what it means - historically - to take second place.
Six times in the history of college football the Heisman runner up has eventually won the award either the next year or two years later.
It happened first way back in 1939, the year Nile Kinnick of Iowa won. Runner-up that year was Tom Harmon. The Michigan Half Back won the award the next year.
The next year Notre Dame's Angello Bertelli was second place...he won the award two years later in 1943.
Army's Mr. Outside, Glenn Davis, came in second place twice before finally taking home the award in 1946.
College football was a different game in the 1940s. Underclassmen played a lot more because of smaller rosters and, of course, the war. That's why so many second place Heisman finishers eventually won way back then.
Since 1946 it's only happened twice...to two very notable athletes.
The great OJ Simpson won college football's coveted trophy in 1968, a year after Gary Beban edged him by just 240 points.
And Herschel Walker was third in 1980 (his freshman year in which he probably should have won the award), second in 1981 and finally won it in 1982.
It hasn't happened since as rosters expanded, players became more specialized and more and more schools were lumped into the Heisman picture each year.
Because of all that, runners-up have a weaker chance of winning the award in future years, but there have been some very notable silver medalists.
Bob Griese in 1966 (winner - Steve Spurrier).
Joe Theismann in 1970 (winner - Jim Plunkett).
John Elway in 1982 (winnner - H. Walker).
Steve Young in 1983 (winner - Mike Rozier).
Rodney Peete in 1988 (winner - Barry Sanders)...Troy Aikman was third that year.
Rocket Ismail in 1990 (winner - Ty Detmer).
Marshall Faulk in 1991 (winner - Gino Toretta).
Peyton Manning in 1997 (winner - Charles Woodson).
Larry Fitzgerald in 2003 (winner - Jason White).
Adrian Peterson in 2004 (winner - Matt Leinart).
Vince Young in 2005 (winner - Reggie Bush).
Darren McFadden in 2006 and 2007 (winners - Troy Smith and Tim Tebow respectively).
Obviously the jury's still out on the more recent ones, but for the most part those notable second place finishers all had better NFL careers than the players that won...for the most part. Barry Sanders is an exception.
So what does all that mean?
Absolutely nothing. Colt McCoy will be on all the pre-season Heisman watch lists, and I think he has a very good chance of winning or at least getting another trip to the DAC in NYC.
There is one other thing working in his favor...and Taylor Potts for that matter.
Since the Heisman Trophy was first awarded back in 1935, one player from a Texas university has won the award in every decade except for the 1960s.
Davey O'brien (TCU 1938), Doak Walker (SMU 1948), John David Crow (Texas A&M 1957), Earl Campbell (Texas 1977), Andre Ware (Houston 1989) and Ricky Williams (Texas 1998).
Also notice that they've all been in the latter part of the decade so Colt's and Taylor's chances are really good!
Seems like it just started, but spring practice is about to wrap up which only means one thing: we're that much closer to the regular season!!!
Soon....soon.
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