The Heisman Trophy is the most coveted hardware in college football, perhaps all of sports.
USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams is the newest member in the Heisman brotherhood. He is the seventh Trojans player (not including Reggie Bush, who forfeited his Heisman) to win the award, tying USC with Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Ohio State for the most Heisman wins from one school.
Williams’ Heisman victory puts him alongside a long list of legendary college football players who hoisted the trophy. He, along with many other recipients, had pivotal moments from their seasons that helped them earn the award.
Williams shined in his first year at USC, finishing the regular season with 4,075 yards passing and 37 passing touchdowns. He also added 372 yards and 10 scores on the ground. His 47 total touchdowns were the most in the FBS this season. He led his Trojans squad to an 11-2 record, a top-10 finish in the final College Football Playoff rankings and a Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic berth.
There were a lot of jaw-dropping moments from Williams’ season, but he solidified his Heisman status against Notre Dame. It began before the game when his nail design had an explicit barb toward the Fighting Irish.
Williams finished with 232 yards passing and one touchdown pass. He did damage on the ground as well, rushing for 35 yards and three scores. Williams eluded Notre Dame defenders all night en route to a 37-28 win.
Williams knew his performance was Heisman-worthy, hitting the pose after a touchdown run in the third quarter.
Williams is the third USC quarterback to win the Heisman, joining Matt Leinart (2004) and Carson Palmer (2002).
Young became the second consecutive Alabama player to hoist the Heisman Trophy after former Crimson Tide wide receiver DeVonta Smith won in 2020. Young, a first-year starter, finished the regular season with 4,322 passing yards and 43 touchdown passes.
The quarterback’s defining moment came in the 2021 SEC championship game against the Georgia Bulldogs. Young torched Georgia’s top-rated defense for 421 yards passing and four total touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) en route to a 41-24 win. Young also led his squad to the top spot in the CFP rankings that year.
Smith became the first wide receiver to win the Heisman since Desmond Howard of the Michigan Wolverines in 1991. Smith finished the regular season with 98 receptions for 1,511 yards, both tops in the nation that year. Including the postseason, he caught 23 touchdown passes in 2020, which was first in the country.
You could pick a few games as Smith’s “Heisman moment,” but his performance against LSU takes the cake. He carved up the Tigers for 231 yards receiving and three touchdowns on eight catches in a 55-17 win. But perhaps the most impactful moment of Smith’s season was his motivational Heisman acceptance speech.
Burrow’s 2019 campaign was historic on many fronts. His 48 regular-season touchdown passes and 77.9 completion percentage are Heisman records. Including the postseason, Burrow tossed 60 touchdown passes, which was an FBS record at the time.
Burrow, LSU’s first Heisman recipient since Billy Cannon in 1959, led his team to its first CFP berth and a national championship with a 13-0 record
Burrow showed up in big games, including the Tigers’ matchup against the Crimson Tide on Nov. 19, 2019. He threw for 393 yards and three touchdowns to help LSU snap an eight-game skid against its SEC rival with a 46-41 win.
Burrow delivered a moving Heisman acceptance speech, shouting out his hometown of Athens, Ohio.
Murray’s dual-threat abilities captivated the college football world and caused headaches for opposing defenses.
In 2018, Murray threw for 4,504 yards and 40 touchdowns while rushing for 892 yards and 11 scores. According to Heisman.com, Murray’s 205.72 passer rating remains the highest for a Heisman-winning quarterback. He was the leader of an Oklahoma team that finished 12-1 and received a CFP berth.
Murray had plenty of eye-popping stat lines that season, but he put up video game numbers against the West Virginia Mountaineers. He finished with 364 yards passing, 114 yards rushing and four total touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) in a thrilling 59-56 win.
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Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray wins the 2018 Heisman Trophy, making it back-to-back years a Sooner has won the award.
2017 — Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma Sooners
According to Heisman.com, Mayfield’s Heisman win was the first time a former walk-on earned the award since NCAA scholarships began in the 1950s. The 6-foot-1 signal-caller finished the 2017 regular season with 4,340 yards passing and 41 touchdowns. He also added 310 yards and five scores on the ground. Mayfield became the first senior to hoist the Heisman since Troy Smith in 2006.
One could view Mayfield’s flag plant on the Ohio State Buckeyes’ turf as a defining moment in his Heisman campaign. But his performance against the Oklahoma State Cowboys was simply unreal. He finished with 598 yards passing and six total touchdowns (five passing, one rushing). His Sooners squad needed every one of those scores, as it squeaked by its in-state rival 62-52.
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Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield is crowned with the 2017 Heisman Trophy, and Mayfield expresses what the award means to him and credits his team for getting him to this point.
2016 — Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville Cardinals
Jackson’s name is all over the Heisman record books because of his sensational 2016 campaign.
His 4,928 yards of total offense remain the second most by a Heisman winner, trailing Ty Detmer’s 5,022 total yards in 1990. Jackson’s 51 total touchdowns are third most among Heisman winners. He also finished with 1,538 rushing yards, the most ever by a Heisman-winning quarterback. He became the youngest player to win the hardware at 19 years and 337 days old.
Jackson garnered Heisman attention early during a two-game stretch against the Syracuse Orange and Florida State Seminoles in September 2019. He accumulated 627 passing yards, 345 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns (two passing, eight rushing) over that span, resulting in wins for his Cardinals team.
Let’s not forget the striking red blazer Jackson wore to the awards ceremony, a stylish end to his Heisman season.
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Louisville QB Lamar Jackson wins the 2016 Heisman Trophy, becoming the youngest winner of the award.
2015 — Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama Crimson Tide
Henry ran through the competition (literally) to win the second Heisman Trophy in Alabama football history. He rushed for 1,986 yards in 2015, an SEC record. His 23 rushing touchdowns tied the conference record. He ran for 200-plus yards in four games that season, joining Bo Jackson and Herschel Walker as the only players to do so in SEC history.
On Nov. 7, 2015, Henry made a statement against LSU. He finished with 210 yards rushing and three rushing scores en route to a 30-16 victory. Henry gave people more evidence he was worthy of the Heisman with a 271-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Auburn Tigers three games later.
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Derrick Henry opens up about his childhood and how being raised by his grandmother inspired him to be the man he is today.
2014 — Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon Ducks
Mariota put on a show as a junior, finishing the regular season with 3,783 yards passing and 38 touchdown passes. He also rushed for 669 yards and 14 scores. He also caught a touchdown pass, which brought his touchdown total to 53, tying Sam Bradford for most in Heisman history. He also became the first Oregon Duck, Polynesian player and person from Hawaii to win the award.
In the Ducks’ final game of the 2014 regular season, Mariota put an exclamation point on his Heisman campaign. He finished with 313 passing yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 33 yards and three scores against the Arizona Wildcats. His big day propelled Oregon to a convincing 51-13 victory.
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Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota is the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner.
2013 — Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State Seminoles
Winston, who was a redshirt freshman, won the Heisman after throwing for 3,820 yards and 38 touchdowns. At the time, he became the youngest player to earn the award at 19 years and 342 days old.
Winston led his Seminoles squad to a 13-0 record and national championship in his Heisman season, becoming the first redshirt freshman to win the award and the national title in the same year.
Winston caught the attention of many after he shredded the Pittsburgh Panthers‘ defense in the 2013 season opener, completing 25 of 27 passes for 356 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-13 victory. He also added a rushing score to his stat line. But his Heisman moment arguably came against the Clemson Tigers on Oct. 19 when he had 444 yards passing and four total touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) in a 51-14 win.
2012 — Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M Aggies
Manziel gave defensive coordinators fits during the 2012 season en route to winning a Heisman Trophy. He accumulated 4,600 yards of total offense (3,419 passing, 1,181 rushing) and 43 total touchdowns (24 passing, 19 rushing). His yardage output is an SEC record that helped the Aggies obtain a 10-2 regular-season record.
Texas A&M’s matchup against Bama is when Manziel solidified his Heisman status. He dazzled against the Crimson Tide, finishing with 253 yards passing and two touchdown passes. He added 92 yards on the ground in a 29-24 win over Alabama. Manziel kept the Bama defense guessing with his improvisational skills all game.
Manziel became the first freshman to hoist the Heisman Trophy.
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On Dec. 8, 2012, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel makes history as the first freshman to win the prestigious Heisman Trophy.
Here’s a rundown of the rest of the Heisman winners in the award’s history:
2011 — Robert Griffin III, Baylor Bears
2010 — Cam Newton, Auburn Tigers
2009 — Mark Ingram, Alabama Crimson Tide
2008 — Sam Bradford, Oklahoma Sooners
2007 — Tim Tebow, Florida Gators
2006 — Troy Smith, Ohio State Buckeyes
2005 — Reggie Bush, USC Trojans (forfeited for NCAA violations)
2004 — Matt Leinart, USC Trojans
2003 — Jason White, Oklahoma Sooners
2002 — Carson Palmer, USC Trojans
2001 — Eric Crouch, Nebraska Cornhuskers
2000 — Chris Weinke, Florida State Seminoles
1999 — Ron Dayne, Wisconsin Badgers
1998 — Ricky Williams, Texas Longhorns
1997 — Charles Woodson, Michigan Wolverines
1996 — Danny Wuerffel, Florida Gators
1995 — Eddie George, Ohio State Buckeyes
1994 — Rashaan Salaam, Colorado Buffaloes
1993 — Charlie Ward, Florida State Seminoles
1992 — Gino Torretta, Miami Hurricanes
1991 — Desmond Howard, Michigan Wolverines
1990 — Ty Detmer, BYU Cougars
1989 — Andre Ware, Houston Cougars
1988 — Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State Cowboys
1987 — Tim Brown, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
1986 — Vinny Testaverde, Miami Hurricanes
1985 — Bo Jackson, Auburn Tigers
1984 — Doug Flutie, Boston College Eagles
1983 — Mike Rozier, Nebraska Cornhuskers
1982 — Herschel Walker, Georgia Bulldogs
1981 — Marcus Allen, USC Trojans
1980 — George Rogers, South Carolina Gamecocks
1979 — Charles White, USC Trojans
1978 — Billy Sims, Oklahoma Sooners
1977 — Earl Campbell, Texas Longhorns
1976 — Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh Panthers
1975 — Archie Griffin, Ohio State Buckeyes
1974 — Archie Griffin, Ohio State Buckeyes
1973 — John Cappelletti, Penn State Nittany Lions
1972 — Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska Cornhuskers
1971 — Pat Sullivan, Auburn Tigers
1970 — Jim Plunkett, Stanford Cardinal
1969 — Steve Owens, Oklahoma Sooners
1968 — O.J. Simpson, USC Trojans
1967 — Gary Beban, UCLA Bruins
1966 — Steve Spurrier, Florida Gators
1965 — Mike Garrett, USC Trojans
1964 — John Huarte, Notre Dame
1963 — Roger Staubach, Navy Midshipmen
1962 — Terry Baker, Oregon State Beavers
1961 — Ernie Davis, Syracuse Orange
1960 — Joe Bellino, Navy Midshipmen
1959 — Billy Cannon, LSU Tigers
1958 — Pete Dawkins, Army Black Knights
1957 — John David Crow, Texas A&M
1956 — Paul Hornung, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
1955 — Howard Cassady, Ohio State Buckeyes
1954 — Alan Ameche, Wisconsin Badgers
1953 — Johnny Lattner, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
1952 — Billy Vessels, Oklahoma Sooners
1951 — Dick Kazmaier, Princeton Tigers
1950 — Vic Janowicz, Ohio State Buckeyes
1949 — Leon Hart, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
1948 — Doak Walker, SMU Mustangs
1947 — Johnny Lujack, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
1946 — Glenn Davis, Army Black Knights
1945 — Doc Blanchard, Army Black Knights
1944 — Les Horvath, Ohio State Buckeyes
1943 — Angelo Bertelli, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
1942 — Frank Sinkwich, Georgia Bulldogs
1941 — Bruce Smith, Minnesota Golden Gophers
1940 — Tom Harmon, Michigan Wolverines
1939 — Nile Kinnick, Iowa Hawkeyes
1938 — Davey O’Brien, TCU Horned Frogs
1937 — Clint Frank, Yale Bulldogs
1936 — Larry Kelley, Yale Bulldogs
1935 — Jay Berwanger, Chicago Maroons