Heisman Trophy Winners

List of Heisman Trophy winners (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Well the Heisman watch is almost over. The 2012 Heisman Announcement will take place this Saturday! The finalists for the 2012 Heisman Memorial Trophy are Kansas State University quarterback Collin Klein, Texas A&M University quarterback Johnny Manziel, and University of Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o.  To prepare for Saturday’s big announcement I wanted to take a look back at the last five Heisman Trophy winners.  

2011: Robert Griffin III – Baylor University Quarterback

Griffin led Baylor to a 10-3 season including a win in the Alamo Bowl. During the 2011 season, he had a total of 4,952 offensive yards and 47 touchdowns. Griffin was the first player in school history to win the Heisman Trophy. In the 2012 NFL Draft, Griffin was drafted in the first round – second overall – by the Washington Redskins.

2010: Cam Newton – Auburn University Quarterback

Receiving over 80 percent of votes, Newton became the third Auburn player to win the Heisman Trophy. Newton and the Auburn Tigers made their first BCS National Championship appearance in 2011 game defeating the Oregon Ducks 22-19. Days after winning the BCS National Championship, Newton announced he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2011 NFL Draft. As the number one pick in the draft, Newton went to the Carolina Panthers. Newton is only the third player ever to win the Heisman, a national championship and be selected as the number one NFL draft pick in a one-year span.

2009: Mark Ingram, Jr. – University of Alabama Running back

As a sophomore, Ingram rushed for 1,658 yards and 17 touchdowns and had 334 receiving yards with 3 touchdowns during the 2009 season. Ingram received the Offensive MVP award after Alabama defeated Texas 37-21 in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game. Ingram returned for his junior season in 2010 before forgoing his senior season and entering the 2011 NFL draft. The New Orleans Saints selected Ingram in the first round.

2008: Sam Bradford – University of Oklahoma Quarterback

Bradford had a total of 4,768 offensive yards during Oklahoma’s 12-1 season. The 2008 Sooners finished the regular season at the top of the BCS Standings and went on to the 2009 BCS National Championship Game. In the championship game, Bradford faced fellow Heisman contender Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators which they lost 24-14. Bradford returned to Oklahoma for his junior season before entering the NFL Draft. In the 2010 NFL Draft, he was selected by the St. Louis Rams as the first overall pick.

2007: Tim Tebow – University of Florida Quarterback

Tebow was the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy and the third Florida player to win the award. In his 2007 season, Tebow had 32 passing touchdowns and 23 rushing touchdowns making him the only player in FBS history to rush and pass for at least 20 touchdowns in both categories during the same season. Tebow was also a Heisman finalist during his junior season. After his senior season, Tebow entered the 2010 NFL Draft where he was selected in the first round by the Denver Broncos.