Showing posts with label Heisman Trophy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heisman Trophy. Show all posts

Friday, July 31, 2020

35 years ago, first Heisman Trophy winners inducted into Pro Football HOF

Photo courtesy of
wikipedia.com


By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved'

CANTON, OHIO (July 31, 2020) Thirty-five years ago, on August 3, 1985, five men were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The list included Frank Gatski, Joe Namath, Pete Rozelle, O.J. Simpson, and Roger Staubach.

Two players from the list also received an additional honor, albeit not an "official" one. Roger Staubach and O.J. Simpson became the first two Heisman Trophy winners to be inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Staubach, who played quarterback at the U.S. Naval Academy received his Heisman Trophy is junior year. Known as “Roger the Dodger,” all he lead Navy to the No. 2 tanking in the country and a berth in the Cotton Bowl, where the faced the No. 1 Texas Longhorns. He completed 106 passes in 161 attempts for 1,474 yards, and was named consensus All-America, as well as winning the Maxwell Trophy and Walter Camp Memorial Trophy.


Five years later, in 1968, Simpson won his Heisman Trophy, as a senior running back at USC, He began his college career at City College of San Francisco were he named a junior college All-American in 1966. He to USC in 1967, where he also ran track. The following fall, Simpson led the nation in rushing with 1,543 yards and scored 13 touchdowns to help lead USC to a 10-1 record and the national title.


Staubach was selected in the 1964 NFL Draft as a 10th round pick by the Dallas Cowboys, due to the fact he had a five-year commitment to the U.S. Navy once he left college. He played his rookie NFL season in 1969 for the Cowboys. He played his entire 10-year career in Dallas.

Simpson, who also played his rookie season on 1969, was selected in the first round, as the first pick, by the Buffalo Bills. He stayed will the bill until 1977. He was traded to the San Francisco 49ers prior to the 1979 season, were he played two seasons.



Saturday, December 09, 2017

Baker Mayfield wins 2017 Heisman Trophy

Photo by Karl Anderson
University of Oklahoma Athletic Communications
Used with Permission
By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK (December 9 , 2017) Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield was awarded the Heisman Trophy for 2017 during ceremonies at the New York Marriott Marquis. Mayfield began his college football career as a walk-on player for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. He is notable for being the first walk-on true  freshman quarterback to start a season opener at a BCS school. The senior, who played his high school ball for Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas, has previously won the Maxwell Award, Davey O'Brien Award, and Walter Camp Award in 2017. He was also named the 2017 Associated Press Player of the Year.

Mayfield is the fifth Oklahoma Sooner to receive the award. He received 2,398 votes, in addition to 78.8% of first-place votes. Previous Sooner players to receive the award include Billy Vesssels (1952), Steve Owens (1969), Billy Sims (1978), Jason White (2003), and Sam Bradford (2008).

Mayfield and his Oklahoma teammates will face Georgia in a CFP semi-final game in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2018.