Last night, Alabama’s DeVonta Smith won the Heisman Trophy comfortably. Every year around this time, people are left wondering who the previous winners are and what the significance of the trophy is.
Advertisement
First of all, something most casual fans never realize is that the award is actually called the Heisman Memorial Trophy. It is awarded each year to the most outstanding player in college football.
In 1935, the Downtown Athletic Club, led by athletic director John Heisman, decided to create a trophy to recognize the best college player east of the Mississippi.
When Heisman died a year later, the award was renamed in his memory and expanded to consider players from anywhere in the country.
The winner is selected by journalists, previous winners, and more recently, a single vote comes from the fans. This year the Crimson Tide WR won with 447 first place votes and 1,856 to breezing past the runner-up, Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence.
Smith became the first wide receiver to win the award in 29 long years.
The Trophy Itself
The Heisman Trophy is perhaps the most iconic-looking award in amateur sports. The image of the ball carrier in the process of a stiff arm makes for a majestic pose, but many people don’t know the actual origin of the trophy.
The trophy was designed by a sculptor named Frank Eliscu in 1935, when Eliscu was just 20 years old. He asked his former high school classmate Ed Smith to pose for the sculpture.
Smith was actually a leading player for the New York University football team and was selected by the Boston Redskins in the first ever NFL Draft in 1936.
Interestingly, Smith didn’t know he was the model for the Heisman Trophy straight away. It wasn’t until 1982 that Smith realized what he had posed for 47 years earlier.
Smith was tracked down by a filmmaker and in 1985, the Downton Athletic Club presented him with his own Heisman Trophy.
List of Heisman Trophy Winners Up Till the 2020 Season
2020 – DeVonta Smith, Alabama, WR
2019 – Joe Burrow, LSU, QB
2018 – Kyler Murray, Oklahoma, QB
2017 – Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma, QB
2016 – Lamar Jackson, Louisville, QB
2015 – Derrick Henry, Alabama, RB
2014 – Marcus Mariota, Oregon, QB
2013 – Jameis Winston, Florida State, QB
2012 – Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M, QB
2011 – Robert Griffin III, Baylor, QB
2010 – Cam Newton, Auburn, QB
2009 – Mark Ingram, Alabama, RB
2008 – Sam Bradford, Oklahoma, QB
2007 – Tim Tebow, Florida, QB
2006 – Troy Smith, Ohio State, QB
2005 – Reggie Bush, Southern Cal, RB (forfeited)
2004 – Matt Leinart, Southern Cal, QB
2003 – Jason White, Oklahoma, QB
2002 – Carson Palmer, Southern Cal, QB
2001 – Eric Crouch, Nebraska, QB
2000 – Chris Weinke, Florida St., QB
1999 – Ron Dayne, Wisconsin, RB
1998 – Ricky Williams, Texas, RB
1997 – Charles Woodson, Michigan, CB
1996 – Danny Wuerffel, Florida, QB
1995 – Eddie George, Ohio State, TB
1994 – Rashaan Salaam, Colorado, RB
1993 – Charlie Ward, Florida State, QB
1992 – Gino Torretta, Miami, QB
1991 – Desmond Howard, Michigan, WR
1990 – Ty Detmer, Brigham Young, QB
1989 – Andre Ware, Houston, QB
1988 – Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State, RB
1987 – Tim Brown, Notre Dame, WR
1986 – Vinny Testaverde, Miami, QB
1985 – Bo Jackson, Auburn, TB
1984 – Doug Flutie, Boston College, QB
1983 – Mike Rozier, Nebraska, TB
1982 – Herschel Walker, Georgia, HB
1981 – Marcus Allen, Southern Cal, TB
1980 – George Rogers, South Carolina, HB
1979 – Charles White, Southern Cal, TB
1978 – Billy Sims, Oklahoma, HB
1977 – Earl Campbell, Texas, FB
1976 – Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh, HB
1975 – Archie Griffin, Ohio State, HB
1974 – Archie Griffin, Ohio State, HB
1973 – John Cappelletti, Penn State, HB
1972 – Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska, FL
1971 – Pat Sullivan, Auburn, QB
1970 – Jim Plunkett, Stanford, QB
1969 – Steve Owens, Oklahoma, HB
1968 – O.J. Simpson, Southern Cal, TB
1967 – Gary Beban, UCLA, QB
1966 – Steve Spurrier, Florida, QB
1965 – Mike Garrett, Southern Cal, TB
1964 – John Huarte, Notre Dame, QB
1963 – Roger Staubach, Navy, QB
1962 – Terry Baker, Oregon State, QB
1961 – Ernie Davis, Syracuse, HB
1960 – Joe Bellino, Navy, HB
1959 – Billy Cannon, LSU, HB
1958 – Pete Dawkins, Army, HB
1957 – John David Crow, Texas A&M, HB
1956 – Paul Hornung, Notre Dame, QB
1955 – Howard Cassady, Ohio State, HB
1954 – Alan Ameche, Wisconsin, FB
1953 – John Lattner, Notre Dame, HB
1952 – Billy Vessels, Oklahoma, HB
1951 – Dick Kazmaier, Princeton, HB
1950 – Vic Janowicz, Ohio State, HB
1949 – Leon Hart, Notre Dame, E
1948 – Doak Walker, SMU, HB
1947 – John Lujack, Notre Dame, QB
1946 – Glenn Davis, Army, HB
1945 – Doc Blanchard, Army, HB
1944 – Les Horvath, Ohio State, QB
1943 – Angelo Bertelli, Notre Dame, QB
1942 – Frank Sinkwich, Georgia, HB
1941 – Bruce Smith, Minnesota, HB
1940 – Tom Harmon, Michigan, HB
1939 – Nile Kinnick, Iowa, HB
1938 – Davey O’Brien, Texas Christian, QB
1937 – Clint Frank, Yale, HB
1936 – Larry Kelley, Yale, E
1935 – Jay Berwanger, Chicago, HB
