What Is The Heisman Trophy?

Instead of a Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, NCAA college football has the Heisman Trophy. Each year, the Heisman is awarded following the completion of the college football season. Read on to learn more about the Heisman Trophy, including its history, who votes on the players, and why it is called the Heisman Trophy.

What is the Heisman Trophy?

The Heisman Trophy is an award given to the most outstanding player in college football each year, voted on by a mix of sports journalists, previous Heisman winners, and fans. It is regarded as the highest individual honor a college football player can receive. Heisman winners have historically been drafted in the first round of NFL Draft, making winning the trophy a first step to a lucrative career.

Why is it Called the Heisman Trophy?

The Heisman Trophy is named after John Heisman, a long-time player and coach of college football. Heisman was a pioneer of college football, coaching multiple high-level programs like Auburn, Clemson, and Georgia Tech. While the trophy was originally called the Downtown Athletic Club Trophy, it was renamed two months after Heisman’s death in 1936.

History

The Heisman Trophy was originally created by the Downtown Athletic Club (DAC) in New York City as the DAC Trophy in 1935. It was only called the DAC Trophy for one year, as it was renamed to the Heisman Trophy in 1936 after the death of John Heisman. The first player to win the DAC Trophy was University of Chicago running back Jay Berwanger. The first player to win the trophy after the name change was Yale’s Larry Kelley.

Voting

Unlike other awards in college and professional sports, the Heisman Trophy voting process includes three different groups of voters. The three different groups and the amount of votes they receive are as follows:

• Sports Journalists: 870 journalists with one vote each
• Past Heisman Winners: 57 past winners with one vote each
• Fans: Fan survey winner will receive one vote

Sports journalists and past Heisman winners will select three players and rank them 1-3 on their ballot. The number one selection on their ballot will receive three points, the number two selection receives two points, and the third selection receives one point. All points are tallied together from the ballots to determine the winner.

Finalists

After the voting process has concluded, the Heisman Trophy finalists are announced. The finalists are the four players who received the most points from the voting process. The finalists are announced the Monday before the Heisman Trophy Ceremony and are invited to attend the Ceremony that weekend where the winner will be announced.

Heisman Trophy Winners

Below is a list of players who have won the Heisman Trophy in the past 10 years:

FAQ