Colt McCoy – Quarterback for the Texas Longhorns

Did you get your ESPN Magazine this past weekend?

I did. Our man was on the cover, of course.

Sports Illustrated has already given the Heisman Trophy to Colt McCoy this season. The Associated Press thinks he has a good shot at that nifty statuette, and I, for one, am not going to say much about it ... after today, that is.

There is an "I" in Heisman, but there is no "I" in team - and the latter is what will concern Colt in this season of new challenges.

I'm not so sure the Heisman is so much about team leadership and other values anymore as it is gaudy numbers. Numbers are great, and good things usually follow them, but they aren't the complete gauge of an individual.

Colt and Florida's Tim Tebow put their teams on their shoulders last year and over-achieved - as individuals and as members of a team. That guy who won the trophy had more help on the field than they did, but his team under-achieved when it counted.

The Heisman Trophy race is a huge distraction. Just ask former Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell, who followed the big UT upset last season with a debacle on the road once his Heisman stock went up.

Since Bradford and Tebow already have a trophy, it would be nice for Colt to finally have one, but again ... Heisman winners, for the most part, haven't fared well in the pros. So, who needs that, right?

Regardless of who wins the trophy this season, Colt has developed all the skills and muscle to hold his own in the NFL. Anyway, the AP already is talking about the Heisman chances this season of others - quarterback Daryll Clark of Penn State, OSU's big wide receiver Dez Bryant and a tailback out of California named Jahvid Best.

So, that's my annual pre-season Heisman rant.

I'm not going to pay too much attention to it after this, and I'm sure Colt won't, either.