The Race to the Heisman Trophy

The Heisman Trophy was first awarded in 1937. In 1935 and 1936, the award was called the DAC Trophy, so named because it was created by the New York Downtown Athletic Club.

Plunkett really didn't want to play defensive end, so he relentlessly practiced his throwing motion until he finally won a job as starting quarterback. He eventually became the first selection in the 1971 NFL draft.

Walker was an incredibly productive running back for Georgia. He scored 54 TDs, including 17 during the 1982 season, after which he won the trophy.

Crouch was a speedster QB who played for Nebraska. He won the award in 2001 after scoring 59 career TDs. He was drafted but never played a game in the NFL.

Quarterback might be the most important position in football, but it took a few years for a QB to take home the Heisman. Davey O'Brien, from TCU, won the award in 1938.

Dorsett was a star from the start during his playing days at Pittsburgh, but it wasn't until after his senior year that he won the Heisman. That season, he ran for more than 2,100 yards.

Only one player has won the Heisman multiple times. Archie Griffin, from Ohio State, won the award twice in the 1970s.

Griffin was a running back who played for four years at Ohio State. He rushed for more than 5,500 yards and scored 26 TDs during his college career.

Dayne won the Heisman after the 1999 season, during which he played running back for Wisconsin. He scored 71 TDs during his four-year career.

Kinnick was a quarterback who played for Iowa at the end of the 1930s. After college, he served in World War II and died during a training flight.

Notre Dame has had seven Heisman winners. That number is tied with Ohio State for the most winners in history.

In 1943, a quarterback by the name of Angelo Bertelli became Notre Dame's first Heisman winner. He threw for 10 TDs during the six-game campaign.

A guy with a name like Gino Torretta could only play quarterback, and he was a good one. As a starter in Miami, Torretta threw for more than 3,000 yards in consecutive seasons.

Only one player -- Reggie Bush -- had the award revoked by the Heisman committee. The NCAA determined that Bush received improper gifts during his playing days at USC.

It wasn't until 1972 that a wide receiver won the Heisman. Johnny Rodgers made huge plays for Nebraska both as a receiver and punt returner.

Jackson was a hard-to-tackle running back at Auburn. He scored 17 TDs during the 1985 season and then became an NFL and major league baseball star.

Army has three winners; Navy has two. Army hasn't won one since 1958, though. Navy won in 1963.

Alabama is one of the winningest programs in the history of college football, but it has only two Heisman award winners. In 2015, Derrick Henry became Alabama's second Heisman winner.

Given Alabama's decades of football success, it seems nearly impossible that no Crimson Tide player won the Heisman until 2009. That's the year that Mark Ingram Jr. won thanks to his splended work at running back.

Only one defensive player has ever won the Heisman -- Charles Woodson played cornerback and also returned punts for Michigan. He won the award in 1997 and went on to have a celebrated NFL career.

Billy Vessels was a halfback from Oklahoma who won the Heisman in 1952. It would be 17 more years before another Sooners player (Steve Owens) won the trophy.

In 2007, Tebow became the first sophomore to ever win the Heisman. He was strong the following season, too, as he led the Gators to a national championship.

Paul Hornung is the only player ever to win the trophy as part of a team that had a losing record. Notre Dame was a paltry 2-8 during his Heisman campaign. Hornung went on to become the first Heisman winner to win the NFL title.

Notre Dame had three Heisman winners in the 1940s. Army was second, with two winners.

In 2012, Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel put together one spectacular play after another en route to the Heisman. He then proceeded to fail, equally spectacularly, in the NFL.

Staubach won the Heisman after the 1963 season, during which he played for Navy. The team had only one loss that year, to Texas in the national championship game.

Spurrier was a star quarterback for the Florida Gators. He followed his college career by playing for both the 49ers and Buccaneers.

Sanders won the Heisman in 1988, after his terrific career at Oklahoma State. He rushed for a jaw-dropping 37 TDs during that single season, which is still considered one of the best individual performances in the history of college football.

Campbell was a big, bruising running back at Texas. In his four-year career, he scored 40 TDs and averaged nearly 6 yards per carry.

Walker was a halfback for SMU, where he was effective as both a runner and a passer. The Doak Walker award is named after him. This award is given to the country's best running back each year.