cj's dad
12-12-2008, 02:20 AM
This Saturday - 12-13-2008 - another college football player will be awarded the Heisman trophy for displaying excellence in the past year.
I have copied an article I wrote for a local magazine in the Baltimore area which details those who have failed to live up to the high expectations thrust upon them as recipients of this most prestigious award.
Heisman Trophy Winners:
No Guarantee to Success
by- J. Dennis Milkowski
Since 1935, the Heisman Trophy, named after former college player and football coach John Heisman is given annually to the nation’s outstanding collegiate player. A total of 870 votes are cast nationwide and each voter selects three players in order of accomplishments on the gridiron. Players are awarded 3 points for a first place vote, 2 for second and 1 point for third. The player who receives the most points is obviously the winner. While the voting is subjective at best, there have been only 11 winners whose margin of victory has been less than 100 points. Incredibly, in the closest vote ever, Bo Jackson of Auburn University barely edged out Chuck Long of Iowa with 1509 points. to Chuck’s 1464!
While Chuck Long went on to a mediocre career with the Lions and Rams,
Bo Jackson opted to play baseball and became known for his monster home runs, fielding ability and great throwing arm. Following the 1987 season, Bo decided to play pro football as a “hobby”. He backed up future Hall of Famer Marcus Allen with the LA Raiders and gained 2782 yards in 4 years. A devastating hip injury ended his 1991 football season and after sitting out the 1992 season he finished his career in 1994 with the California Angels.
OJ Simpson; now there’s a name that should grab everyone’s attention!!
The biggest margin of victory in the Heisman Trophy balloting (1968) belongs to Orenthal James Simpson. OJ received 2,853 points while his next closest competitor, Leroy Keyes of Purdue, garnered 1,103, a difference of 1,750 pts. As a junior at USC, OJ had finished second the previous year with 1,722 pts compared to Gary Beban (1968 pts.) a quarterback from UCLA.
As most know, OJ went on to a stellar career with the Buffalo Bills and was later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ironically, OJ was known during his playing days as a “slashing” type of runner whose exceptional speed kept him from being “penned in”. A rumor has surfaced since OJ’s retirement that while with the Bills, he harbored a strong desire to play for the Denver “Broncos”!
Winning the Heisman is no guarantee for success in the NFL. While there have been numerous players that went on to fame and fortune, the football landscape is littered with those who failed. The top 10 most notable “disappointments” at the NFL level (and this is very subjective) are:
#10-Charles White - 1979 - Univ.of Southern California- Running Back. One good season out of 9- Best year was 1987 when he gained 1100+ yards and scored 12 TD’s. Won NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award that year although I’m not sure how you come back when you never were!!
#9-Terry Baker-1962-Oregon State- Quarterback- Played three seasons with the LA Rams before moving to the C(Canadian)FL where he maintained the same level of mediocrity.
#8- Gary Beban –1967-UCLA-QB- Two uneventful seasons with the Redskins led to his retirement after a career of virtually no accomplishments. He is best remembered for edging OJ Simpson for the Heisman when Simpson was junior at USC. The thinking at the time was that the award should go to a senior, which Beban was!
#7- Pat Sullivan-1971- Auburn- Quarterback- Spent 5 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and 2 with the Redskins as a backup QB and had a very lackluster career.
#6-Gino Toretta- 1992 – Miami – QB – Drafted in the 7th round, Gino played for the Vikings and Lions in the “93/”94 seasons, went to NFL Europe and finished with Seattle and the Colts in 1997. He did not take a snap from center that year and retired at season’s end.
#5- John Huarte – 1964 – Notre Dame – QB – Drafted in the 2nd round by the Jets (Joe Namath was drafted 1st by the Jets), John played 6 years and attempted a total of 48 passes and threw for one TD.
#4 – Chris Weinke – 2000 – Florida State – QB – Drafted by Carolina, Chris started all 16 Panthers games as a rookie and “led” them to a record of 1-15.
He holds the NFL record for consecutive losses as a starting QB with 17.
#3 – Rashaan Salaam – 1994 – Colorado – Running Back – Drafted by the Bears, Rashaan had a respectable rookie year with 1000 yds. rushing and 10 TD’s. However, injuries and fumbles plagued him for the next 3 years and he was let go by the Bears. In 1999, he played for the Browns and Packers and appeared in 2 games. Following the season, he signed with the XFL, and played for one season. Failing tryouts with the Lions and 49er’s in consecutive years, he retired.
#2 – Andre Ware – 1989 – Houston – QB – The first African- American QB to win the Heisman, Andre was a terrible bust! Drafted by Detroit, Andre teamed with Barry Sanders but was relegated to third string behind Rodney Peete and Bob Gagliano. He played with Detroit for 4 seasons, playing in 14 games, starting only 6. Traded by the Lions to Oakland, he was cut by the Raiders. He later signed with the CFL and ended his career in NFL Europe.
#1 – Eric Crouch – 2001 – Nebraska – QB – Eric Crouch’s accomplishments in college are remarkable to say the least, yet they never converted to being anything close to an even average player in the NFL.
Eric is one of three players In Division 1-A history to rush for 3,000 yards and pass for 4,000 yards in a career.
Tied an NCAA record by scoring a TD via a run, pass, and throw in one game.
Nebraska single season records:
Offense leader (year) - 2625 yds.
Game offense - 360 yds.
Total TD’s – 88
Td passes in one game – 5
Career rushing by a QB – 3434 yds.
Rushing TD’s in a season – 20
Eric was one of the most versatile and gifted players to ever wear a football uniform. Drafted by the St. Louis Rams as a wide receiver. Eric was injured during summer camp and later quit the Rams before playing a game. Following a tryout by the Packers, who again tried to convince him to play wide out, Eric again quit to pursue a career in sport’s reporting. After signing with Kansas City in 2005, he was sent to Hamburg of NFL Europe. He played the 2006 with Toronto of the CFL as a back-up quarterback.
There are many positive aspects to winning the award such as high stock in the NFL draft. Of the 72 award recipients, 17 have been the 1st overall player taken in the draft and 8 have been elected to the Pro Football of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Of the 17 who were the first player taken, only 2 did not
turn pro.
Jay Berwanger – 1935- Univ. of Chicago- opted for a business career, and
Ernie Davis – 1961 – Syracuse University- Running Back (#45) did not play a down as a result of being diagnosed with Leukemia prior to the start of the 1962 season. Ernie was the first African-American to win the Heisman!!
There have been 4 second place finishers who went on to win the Heisman the following year: Tom Harmon-1940, Glenn Davis-1946, OJ Simpson-1968 and Herschel Walker- 1982.
Archie Griffin of Ohio State, 1974-75 is the only two-time winner!
The only player to win the award as a defensive player was Desmond Howard-1991-Univ. of Michigan. Playing defensive back was his forte, yet it is doubtful that he would have won if it were not for his accomplishments as a punt and kick-off returner and occasional wide receiver.
Perhaps not too surprisingly, there have been a number of 2nd place finishers who have gone on to stardom in the NFL. Maybe it’s the lack of pressure, after all, most people don’t remember the Super Bowl losers and maybe this same scenario applies here.
Notables who have been runners-up:
1950- Kyle Rote
1957 – Alex Karras
1966 – Bob Griese
1970- Joe Theismann
1981- Herschel Walker
1982 – John Elway
1983 – Steve Young
1992 – Marshall Faulk
1997- Peyton Manning
2005- Vince Young
Great pro players who have never won or finished second;
Dan Marino, Walter Payton, Gale Sayers, John Unitas, Jim Brown, Dick Butkus, Jack Lambert, Dick “Night Train” Lane, Raymond Berry, Gino Marchetti, Jim Parker, Sammy Baugh, Joe Namath, Tom Brady, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Dan Marino, etc…..
And finally, the player who I believe has best represented the spirit of the Heisman Trophy both on and off the field of play: Roger Staubach- 1963- United States Naval Academy.
Roger was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1964 but chose to fulfill his military obligation and served in the Navy until his discharge in 1969. His service included a 1 year tour of duty in Vietnam. Joining Dallas as a 27 year old rookie, he served as back-up to Craig Morton, but within 2 years Roger was the starting QB and went on to an NFL Hall of Fame career. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981. The Sporting News of 1999 named Roger the 29th greatest player of all time out of a list of 100.
Is there a guarantee for success as a winner of the Heisman Trophy, certainly not!! There is however the great pride and distinction that comes with winning America’s most renowned college football award. To be honored in New York City in front of a national television audience and one’s peers is probably enough fame and recognition to last a lifetime.
The jury is still out on recent winners, Troy Smith, Carson Palmer, Reggie Bush and Matt Lienhart. In each case the future seems bright for these young men. May their careers be long and rewarding.
I have copied an article I wrote for a local magazine in the Baltimore area which details those who have failed to live up to the high expectations thrust upon them as recipients of this most prestigious award.
Heisman Trophy Winners:
No Guarantee to Success
by- J. Dennis Milkowski
Since 1935, the Heisman Trophy, named after former college player and football coach John Heisman is given annually to the nation’s outstanding collegiate player. A total of 870 votes are cast nationwide and each voter selects three players in order of accomplishments on the gridiron. Players are awarded 3 points for a first place vote, 2 for second and 1 point for third. The player who receives the most points is obviously the winner. While the voting is subjective at best, there have been only 11 winners whose margin of victory has been less than 100 points. Incredibly, in the closest vote ever, Bo Jackson of Auburn University barely edged out Chuck Long of Iowa with 1509 points. to Chuck’s 1464!
While Chuck Long went on to a mediocre career with the Lions and Rams,
Bo Jackson opted to play baseball and became known for his monster home runs, fielding ability and great throwing arm. Following the 1987 season, Bo decided to play pro football as a “hobby”. He backed up future Hall of Famer Marcus Allen with the LA Raiders and gained 2782 yards in 4 years. A devastating hip injury ended his 1991 football season and after sitting out the 1992 season he finished his career in 1994 with the California Angels.
OJ Simpson; now there’s a name that should grab everyone’s attention!!
The biggest margin of victory in the Heisman Trophy balloting (1968) belongs to Orenthal James Simpson. OJ received 2,853 points while his next closest competitor, Leroy Keyes of Purdue, garnered 1,103, a difference of 1,750 pts. As a junior at USC, OJ had finished second the previous year with 1,722 pts compared to Gary Beban (1968 pts.) a quarterback from UCLA.
As most know, OJ went on to a stellar career with the Buffalo Bills and was later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ironically, OJ was known during his playing days as a “slashing” type of runner whose exceptional speed kept him from being “penned in”. A rumor has surfaced since OJ’s retirement that while with the Bills, he harbored a strong desire to play for the Denver “Broncos”!
Winning the Heisman is no guarantee for success in the NFL. While there have been numerous players that went on to fame and fortune, the football landscape is littered with those who failed. The top 10 most notable “disappointments” at the NFL level (and this is very subjective) are:
#10-Charles White - 1979 - Univ.of Southern California- Running Back. One good season out of 9- Best year was 1987 when he gained 1100+ yards and scored 12 TD’s. Won NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award that year although I’m not sure how you come back when you never were!!
#9-Terry Baker-1962-Oregon State- Quarterback- Played three seasons with the LA Rams before moving to the C(Canadian)FL where he maintained the same level of mediocrity.
#8- Gary Beban –1967-UCLA-QB- Two uneventful seasons with the Redskins led to his retirement after a career of virtually no accomplishments. He is best remembered for edging OJ Simpson for the Heisman when Simpson was junior at USC. The thinking at the time was that the award should go to a senior, which Beban was!
#7- Pat Sullivan-1971- Auburn- Quarterback- Spent 5 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and 2 with the Redskins as a backup QB and had a very lackluster career.
#6-Gino Toretta- 1992 – Miami – QB – Drafted in the 7th round, Gino played for the Vikings and Lions in the “93/”94 seasons, went to NFL Europe and finished with Seattle and the Colts in 1997. He did not take a snap from center that year and retired at season’s end.
#5- John Huarte – 1964 – Notre Dame – QB – Drafted in the 2nd round by the Jets (Joe Namath was drafted 1st by the Jets), John played 6 years and attempted a total of 48 passes and threw for one TD.
#4 – Chris Weinke – 2000 – Florida State – QB – Drafted by Carolina, Chris started all 16 Panthers games as a rookie and “led” them to a record of 1-15.
He holds the NFL record for consecutive losses as a starting QB with 17.
#3 – Rashaan Salaam – 1994 – Colorado – Running Back – Drafted by the Bears, Rashaan had a respectable rookie year with 1000 yds. rushing and 10 TD’s. However, injuries and fumbles plagued him for the next 3 years and he was let go by the Bears. In 1999, he played for the Browns and Packers and appeared in 2 games. Following the season, he signed with the XFL, and played for one season. Failing tryouts with the Lions and 49er’s in consecutive years, he retired.
#2 – Andre Ware – 1989 – Houston – QB – The first African- American QB to win the Heisman, Andre was a terrible bust! Drafted by Detroit, Andre teamed with Barry Sanders but was relegated to third string behind Rodney Peete and Bob Gagliano. He played with Detroit for 4 seasons, playing in 14 games, starting only 6. Traded by the Lions to Oakland, he was cut by the Raiders. He later signed with the CFL and ended his career in NFL Europe.
#1 – Eric Crouch – 2001 – Nebraska – QB – Eric Crouch’s accomplishments in college are remarkable to say the least, yet they never converted to being anything close to an even average player in the NFL.
Eric is one of three players In Division 1-A history to rush for 3,000 yards and pass for 4,000 yards in a career.
Tied an NCAA record by scoring a TD via a run, pass, and throw in one game.
Nebraska single season records:
Offense leader (year) - 2625 yds.
Game offense - 360 yds.
Total TD’s – 88
Td passes in one game – 5
Career rushing by a QB – 3434 yds.
Rushing TD’s in a season – 20
Eric was one of the most versatile and gifted players to ever wear a football uniform. Drafted by the St. Louis Rams as a wide receiver. Eric was injured during summer camp and later quit the Rams before playing a game. Following a tryout by the Packers, who again tried to convince him to play wide out, Eric again quit to pursue a career in sport’s reporting. After signing with Kansas City in 2005, he was sent to Hamburg of NFL Europe. He played the 2006 with Toronto of the CFL as a back-up quarterback.
There are many positive aspects to winning the award such as high stock in the NFL draft. Of the 72 award recipients, 17 have been the 1st overall player taken in the draft and 8 have been elected to the Pro Football of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Of the 17 who were the first player taken, only 2 did not
turn pro.
Jay Berwanger – 1935- Univ. of Chicago- opted for a business career, and
Ernie Davis – 1961 – Syracuse University- Running Back (#45) did not play a down as a result of being diagnosed with Leukemia prior to the start of the 1962 season. Ernie was the first African-American to win the Heisman!!
There have been 4 second place finishers who went on to win the Heisman the following year: Tom Harmon-1940, Glenn Davis-1946, OJ Simpson-1968 and Herschel Walker- 1982.
Archie Griffin of Ohio State, 1974-75 is the only two-time winner!
The only player to win the award as a defensive player was Desmond Howard-1991-Univ. of Michigan. Playing defensive back was his forte, yet it is doubtful that he would have won if it were not for his accomplishments as a punt and kick-off returner and occasional wide receiver.
Perhaps not too surprisingly, there have been a number of 2nd place finishers who have gone on to stardom in the NFL. Maybe it’s the lack of pressure, after all, most people don’t remember the Super Bowl losers and maybe this same scenario applies here.
Notables who have been runners-up:
1950- Kyle Rote
1957 – Alex Karras
1966 – Bob Griese
1970- Joe Theismann
1981- Herschel Walker
1982 – John Elway
1983 – Steve Young
1992 – Marshall Faulk
1997- Peyton Manning
2005- Vince Young
Great pro players who have never won or finished second;
Dan Marino, Walter Payton, Gale Sayers, John Unitas, Jim Brown, Dick Butkus, Jack Lambert, Dick “Night Train” Lane, Raymond Berry, Gino Marchetti, Jim Parker, Sammy Baugh, Joe Namath, Tom Brady, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Dan Marino, etc…..
And finally, the player who I believe has best represented the spirit of the Heisman Trophy both on and off the field of play: Roger Staubach- 1963- United States Naval Academy.
Roger was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1964 but chose to fulfill his military obligation and served in the Navy until his discharge in 1969. His service included a 1 year tour of duty in Vietnam. Joining Dallas as a 27 year old rookie, he served as back-up to Craig Morton, but within 2 years Roger was the starting QB and went on to an NFL Hall of Fame career. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981. The Sporting News of 1999 named Roger the 29th greatest player of all time out of a list of 100.
Is there a guarantee for success as a winner of the Heisman Trophy, certainly not!! There is however the great pride and distinction that comes with winning America’s most renowned college football award. To be honored in New York City in front of a national television audience and one’s peers is probably enough fame and recognition to last a lifetime.
The jury is still out on recent winners, Troy Smith, Carson Palmer, Reggie Bush and Matt Lienhart. In each case the future seems bright for these young men. May their careers be long and rewarding.