Death of the Heisman

The Heisman is dead.

The once proud pantheon of college football’s greatest honor has degenerated into a two-bit popularity contest and a useless anachronism from a bye-gone era. And it happened right before our eyes.

According to the Heisman trust, the society responsible for maintaining the storied Heisman tradition, the Heisman is awarded to the “most outstanding college football player” each year. In the past, this meant the player who most distinguished themselves as a player, teammate and leader through the course of the college football season.

Take, for example, the statistics from two quarterbacks who featured prominently in the Heisman balloting in 2006.

Total Yards

Total TDs

QB Rating

Record

Conference Standing

Bowl Game

Player A

2746

31

114.7

12-0

1st

National Championship

Player B

5915

63

129.6

10-3

2nd

Hawaii Bowl

Quarterback B had superior numbers in almost every category, shattered numerous NCAA records and led the nations leading offense, but Quarterback A led the number one team in the country to an undefeated season, conference championship and berth in a BCS game. Justifiably, the voters overlooked the statistical differences and awarded the Heisman Trophy to Player B. In fact, I don’t think you’ll find too many people that disagree with the fact that Troy Smith (Player A) deserved the Heisman in 2006 more then up and coming record setter Colt Brennan (Player B). Brennan put up huge numbers, but came up short in the three biggest games of the year (Alabama, Boise State, Oregon State), while Troy Smith efficiently and effectively led the Buckeyes to a spot in the National Championship game.

Now, take a look at the statistics from two quarterbacks who featured prominently in the Heisman balloting in 2007.

Total Yards

Total TDs

QB Rating

Record

Conference Standing

Bowl Game

Player A

4339

46

112.9

12-0

1st

Sugar Bowl

Player B

3970

51

122.9

9-3

4th

Outback Bowl

Look familiar?

Once again, Quarterback B had superior numbers in almost every category, set a number of NCAA records and led the most prolific offense in his conferences history, but Quarterback A lead an undefeated team to the highest national ranking in his schools history and first ever berth in a BCS bowl game.

The Heisman, of course, went to Player A again, right? RIGHT?? RIGHT??!?!?!?!??!??

Sadly, the voters took an about face and awarded the trophy to the flashiest player instead of the most valuable and, dare I say, outstanding player. In so doing, they overlooked the phenomenal impact Colt Brennan (Player A) had on the field, his team and the entire state of Hawaii and awarded football’s highest honor to Tim Tebow (Player B), a player who had a fabulous season and is an excellent leader and role model in his own right, but came up short when his team needed him the most.

In Florida’s nine wins this season, Tebow averaged 4.7 touchdowns and 359 yards of total offense.
In Florida’s three losses this season, Tebow average 2.6 touchdowns and 246 yards of total offense

Contrast that to Colt Brennan, who in the first 10 games of the season (based on the 7 full games in which he participated) completed 69% of his passes for an average of 462 yards, 5 touchdowns and 1.7 interceptions.

In the two biggest games of the year, with a Conference championship and trip to the Sugar Bowl on the line Colt completed an otherworldly 80% of this passes for an average of 468 yards, 5.5 touchdowns and 1 interception.

I do not mean to take anything away from Tim Tebow, who set a new precedent for offensive success in the SEC against much stiffer competition then what Colt and the Warriors faced, but when the spotlight was at it’s brightest and the games mattered the most, Colt was at his best and Tim Tebow was not. I’m not sure I can put it in any simpler terms.

Most years, I would have accepted Colt’s Heisman snub. I would taken solace in the win over Boise State, the first outright WAC championship and the still-not-sure-I-believe-it Sugar Bowl bid. But, as I sat at home watching the Heisman trophy presentation, ESPN commentator Chris Fowler said something that set me off. While introducing Tim Tebow he said he didn’t think that anyone in the country had nearly as profound effect on a football team and an entire state as Tebow did. That made me apoplectic. (Well, more like incredulous, but I REALLY wanted to see if I could sneak ‘apoplectic’ into a posting somehow. Mission Accomplished.)

Where was Chris Fowler when Colt gave his tearful admission that he was returning for his senior season at Hawaii because, according to him, “I like the person I’m becoming here.”?

Where was Chris Fowler when Colt was taking Samoan classes so he could communicate with his linemen, growing dreads to fit it with his wide receivers or dyeing the Hawaiian island chain into his hair to endear himself to an entire state?

Where was Chris Fowler when Colt went down with a concussion against Fresno State, sucking the life out of both the team and the 47,000 fans in attendance?

Where was Chris Fowler when Colt was enthusiastically cheering on the team from the sidelines during the Nevada game even though he couldn’t play?

Where was Chris Fowler when the entire state of Hawaii lost the ability to start a conversation without talking about the Warriors?

I am ready, albeit grudgingly, to concede that a few players had better statistical years then Colt Brennan. But I can not believe that anyone would claim that a college football player had a bigger impact, through a combination of leadership and on-field performance, then Colt Brennan. It’s simply not true.

Maybe I’m old fashioned, or perhaps, just late to the party on the Heisman front. Maybe the transition of the Heisman from a revered symbol of the best college football has to offer to a popularity contest between quarterbacks and running backs from top 10 teams has been underway for a while and I never realized it. But I can’t help shake the feeling that the Heisman lost some of it’s luster this past week.

Perhaps, if they make a remake of Planet of the Apes in 50 years, Charlton Heston’s character will be walking along the beach at the end of the movie and see the Heisman trophy lying in the sand instead of the Statue of Liberty. Only, instead of shouting to the heavens, he’ll just shake his head and say, ”maybe it’s for the best…”