Although there are many awards given out to college football players, by far the most famous, and most respected one is the elder statesman of the bunch, the Heisman Trophy. Since 1935 it's been given to the most outstanding player in college football. Now, it's had its controversies over the years. For one, critics have rightly pointed out that with only one exception (Charles Woodson, in 1997), it's only been won by players who are on offense. And of these, it's only quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers (sometimes back when the position was known as "end")--no tight ends, or linemen. With these limitations admitted, I was still curious how each and every Heisman winner had fared as a pro--mostly with the NFL, but a few with the American Football League (AFL, which was active from 1960-69 before being absorbed by the NFL) and All-America Football Conference (AAFC), the 1946-49 league that saw some of its teams, most notably the Cleveland Browns, absorbed into the NFL as well. So that's what this will be--I'll go through and list the best and the worst of all of these Heisman winners.
Alas, some of this will be at least somewhat subjective. Particularly when it comes to players who competed before 1960, when statistics weren't kept nearly as well. But, in general, I'll use things like number of years played, number of games played in and started, number of times named to the Pro Bowl or All-Pro team, and if the player was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I'm also using the Approximate Value statistic (AV), which is generated for players who were in the AFL or NFL from 1960 and later. For this stat, a 5-7 within a year indicates a solid starter, less than that is a reserve, above 10 or so indicates a very good player, and above 15 is spectacular. (It's somewhat slanted toward quarterbacks, but since this is arguably the most important position, I think that's reasonable.) So, for example, a player who appears in 10 season with a total AV of 65 is probably a decent, but not great starter, and one who plays in 5 years with a total AV of 15 was a marginal player, almost certainly a reserve. Anyway, enough explanation, let's get into it.
Let's start with the 11 guys who never played in the NFL, AFL, or AAFC. Or we can't really judge how they would have been as pro players, since they didn't actually play. This was much more common in the early days of the NFL, when salaries were much lower, even after accounting for inflation. Sometimes it was because the man in question was interested in other vocations. In one instance, illness was the reason. And in two cases the players wanted to play in the NFL, but weren't good enough to make a team. So here they are, in chronological order.
1) 1935 Jay Berwanger, halfback, University of Chicago. Berwanger was drafted by the Philadelphia, Eagles, but they traded his rights to the Chicago Bears, believing they couldn't sign him. Berwanger refused to sign with the Bears, since he wanted to retain his amateur status so he could compete in the decathlon at the Olympics. He failed to make the Olympic team, but then still rejected the Bears contract offers. Much later he said he regretted the decision.
2) 1936 Larry Kelley, end, Yale University. The Detroit Lions selected him in the 9th round of the draft, but he didn't sign with them. Instead, he signed a 1 game contract with a team in the American Football League, another pro league that lasted from 1936-37. (Not to be confused with the previously mentioned 1960-69 AFL.) However, he never actually played in an AFL game.
3) 1937 Clint Frank, halfback, Yale University. Again the Detroit Lions selected a Heisman winner from Yale, and again the player never signed.
4) 1939 Nile Kinnick, halfback/quarterback, University of Iowa. Kinnick was drafted by the NFL's Brooklyn Dodgers (yes, at this time the NFL had a team with the same name as the MLB team) but didn't sign. Initially, he instead went to law school. When World War II broke out, Kinnick joined the Navy, wanting to be a pilot. Tragically he died in a training accident in 1943.
5) 1945 Doc Blanchard, fullback, Army. Blanchard was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but decided to make the Service his full time vocation instead. He was a fighter pilot for the Air Force.
6) 1951 Dick Kazmaier, halfback, Princeton University. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears, but decided to go to Harvard Business School instead. Later he joined the Navy.
7) 1958 Pete Dawkins, halfback, Army. He was undrafted due to his service commitments. He stayed in the Army and became a Brigadier General.
8) 1961 Ernie Davis, halfback/linebacker, Syracuse University. Davis was selected in the 1st round by teams in the NFL and AFL. He was chosen in the NFL by the Washington Redskins, who immediately traded his rights to the Cleveland Browns. Alas, before Davis could play in his rookie year he was diagnosed with leukemia. He succumbed to his disease about a year later, having never played in an NFL game.
9) 1994 Charlie Ward, quarterback, Florida State University. Ward also was an excellent basketball player, and competed for FSU's team in that sport. Pundits before the draft had Ward pegged as a mid round pick, maybe in the 3rd to 5th round, due to concerns about his size and overall ability. Ward announced that he wouldn't sign with any NFL team unless they drafted him in the first round. Accordingly, no NFL drafted him. However, the New York Knicks in the NBA did draft him, in the first round. Ward went on to play in the NBA for 11 years, from 19940-2005, with the Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, and Houston Rockets. All told he started 285 out of a total of 630 games, and per game averaged 6.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.2 blocks.
10) 2001 Eric Crouch, quarterback, University of Nebraska. Crouch was taken in the 3rd round of the NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams. However, he wasn't able to make the team, and never played in a regular season NFL game. He did go on to play in several lesser leagues, though, such as the Canadian Football League (CFL) NFL Europe, the AAFL, and the UFL.
11) 2003 Jason White, quarterback, University of Oklahoma. Due to concerns about his injury history and overall ability no NFL drafted White. So he's only the 3rd Heisman not to be drafted, and as I outlined above Pete Dawkins and Charlie Ward's stories were much different. White was given at least one undrafted tryout by an NFL team, but he was unable to make the team, and never played.
The Best Heisman Trophy Winners Who Played Pro Football. Here I'm going to list the 10 guys who were elected to the Hall of Fame. It would be difficult to rank them, considering they played in different eras, and played different positions, so I'm just listing them chronologically.
1) 1948 Doak Walker, halfback, Southern Methodist University. Doak only played 6 years in the NFL, from 1950-55 with the Detroit Lions. But it was eventful. He accumulated 1520 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 2539 receiving yards, 21 receiving touchdowns, and also played significant time as a kicker, punter, punt returner, kickoff returner, and defensive back. He was named to 5 Pro Bowls, 4 All Pro teams, and was part of 2 NFL title winning teams.
2) 1956 Paul Hornung, halfback/fullback/quarterback, Notre Dame. Hornung played from 1957-62, and 1964-66, all with the Green Bay Packers. All told he had 3711 rushing yards, 50 rushing touchdowns, 1480 receiving yards, 12 receiving touchdowns, and completed 43.6% of his passes for 383 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. He was also a kicker for much of his career. He was named to the Pro Bowl 2 times, the All Pro team 2 times, and was part of 3 NFL title winning teams, and 1 Super Bowl winning team (although he didn't play in it).
3) 1963 Roger Staubach, quarterback, Navy. Staubach played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969-78 (He didn't play after graduating because of his military commitment). In 131 games, and 114 starts he completed 57% of his passes for 22,700 yards, 153 touchdowns, 109 interceptions, and a 83.4 rating. He also rushed for 2264 yards and 20 touchdowns. Staubach was named to 6 Pro Bowls, and won 2 Super Bowls. His AV was 127.
4) 1968 O.J. Simpson, halfback, USC. (Just to get this out of the way, I think Simpson is a complete monster of a human being, with his strongly alleged domestic abuse, murders, and conviction for armed robbery and kidnapping. So I don't support him on any level. I include him on this list solely for his accomplishments as a player.) Simpson played for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers from 1969-79. All told he rushed for 11,236 yards and 61 touchdowns, and had 2142 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns. He was named to 6 Pro Bowls, 5 All Pro teams, and had a total AV of 116.
5) 1976 Tony Dorsett, running back, University of Pittsburgh. Dorsett played from1977-88 with the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. He totaled 12,739 rushing yards, 77 rushing touchdowns, 3554 receiving yards, and 13 receiving touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl 4 times, and the All Pro team 1 time. He won 1 Super Bowl, and his lifetime AV was 137.
6) 1977 Earl Campbell, running back, University of Texas. Campbell played for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints from 1978-85. His lifetime totals include 9,407 rushing yards, 74 rushing touchdowns, and 806 receiving yards (no receiving touchdowns). He was named to the Pro Bowl 5 times, and the All Pro team 3 times. His lifetime AV was 77.
7) 1981 Marcus Allen, running back, USC. Allen's career was very long, lasting from 1982-97 with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs. He rushed for 12,243 yards and 123 touchdowns, and accumulated 5411 receiving yards and 21 receiving touchdowns. He also passed for 282 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He was a Pro Bowler 6 times, an All Pro 2 times, and won 1 Super Bowl. Allen's total AV was 143.
8) 1987 Tim Brown, wide receiver, Notre Dame. Brown also played a lengthy time, from 1988-2004 with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He caught 1094 passes for 14,934 yards and 100 touchdowns. He also rushed for 190 yards and 1 touchdown. Finally, he returned 3 punts for a touchdown, and 1 kickoff for another touchdown. Brown was named to the Pro Bowl 9 times, and had a career AV of 146.
9) 1988 Barry Sanders, running back, Oklahoma State University. Sanders played with the Detroit Lions from 1989-98. He totaled 15,269 rushing yards, 99 rushing touchdowns, 2921 receiving yards, and 10 receiving touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl every year he played, or 10 times, and was All Pro 6 times. His career AV was 149.
10) 1997 Charles Woodson, cornerback/punt returner/wide receiver, University of Michigan. Woodson was the only defensive player who won the Heisman, and even he benefited from his special teams play and occasional time at wide receiver in college. In the NFL, he played cornerback and safety, from 1998-2015, with the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers. Lifetime he intercepted 65 passes for 966 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also recovered 18 fumbles for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns, and garnered 20 sacks. He was a Pro Bowler 9 times, was on the All Pro team 3 times, and won 1 Super Bowl. Woodson's career AV was 163.
As for the best of the rest, or honorable mentions, I'd have to put Alan Ameche (1954), John David Crow (1957), Billy Cannon (1959), Mike Garrett (1965), Billy Sims (1978), Herschel Walker (1982), Eddie George (1995), Ricky Williams (1998), and Carson Palmer (2002).
Worst Heisman Winners in Pro Football:
1) 2003 Jason White, quarterback, University of Oklahoma. I already mentioned most of the relevant details on his lack of pro career. I'm including him, and not most of the other 11 guys who didn't play in the NFL, because unlike them, he wanted to, and attempted to play, but wasn't good enough to even make a roster.
2) 2001 Eric Crouch, quarterback, University of Nebraska. And Crouch is like White--I put him here on the list because he was unable to make the roster and play in even 1 game. I rate White worse than Crouch because at least Crouch was able to play in the other, lesser pro leagues.
3) 1967 Gary Beban, quarterback, UCLA. Beban was drafted in the 2nd round by the Washington Redskins, and played in 1968 and 1969. Barely. He participated in 5 total games, starting none, and went 0-1 passing, for 0 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, rushed for 18 total yards, and caught 1 pass for 12 yards. That's it. And that's why his lifetime AV is 0.
4) 1992 Gino Torretta, quarterback, University of Miami. Torretta played in 1993 and 1996 with the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks. In 2 total games, neither as a starter. So why is he rated less worse than Beban? Because he did slightly more. Torretta completed 31.3% of his passes for 41 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception, for a 35.4 quarterback rating. (Which is a worse rating than if he just spiked the ball into the ground on every pass attempt.) He also rushed for 12 yards, and 0 touchdowns. So obviously his AV is also a 0.
5) 1964 John Huarte, quarterback, Notre Dame. Huarte played from 1966-72 with the Boston Patriots (AFL), and with the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. In 24 games, with only 1 as a starter, he completed 39.6% of his passes for 230 yards, 1 touchdown, and 5 interceptions, for a rating of 22.4. He also rushed for 52 yards and 0 touchdowns. Huarte's career AV was 1.
6) 1960 Joe Bellino, halfback, Navy. Bellino played for the AFL's Boston Patriots from 1965-67, starting 6 of 35 total games. He rushed for 64 yards (with a woeful 2.1 yard average), and 0 touchdowns, and totaled 151 receiving yards and 1 receiving touchdown. He also returned some punts and kicks, but in a less than average capacity. As a result, his lifetime AV was 2. To defend him a little, he did have his military commitment after graduation, meaning he started his pro football career several years later than most players. But still.
7) 1971 Pat Sullivan, quarterback, Auburn University. Sullivan toiled for the Atlanta Falcons from 1972-75, starting 4 of 30 total games. He completed only 42.3% of his passes, for 1155 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions, for a rating of 36.5. He added 55 rushing yards, and 0 touchdowns. Which made his career AV only 3.
8) 1943 Angelo Bertelli, quarterback, Notre Dame. Bertelli played long before AV was computed, in the early days of the NFL. So his position on this list is somewhat subjective--because of various factors, like the rules of the time, quarterback's ratings and other passing stats were much worse than modern quarterbacks, even for very good ones. Bertelli played in the AAFC from 1946-48, with the Los Angeles Dons and the Chicago Rockets. He started 5 of 16 total games. He completed 45.8% of his passes, for 972 yards, 8 touchdowns, 19 interceptions, and a 41.1 rating. Rushing-wise he had negative 15 yards and 1 touchdown.
9) 1972 Johnny Rodgers, wide receiver/running back, University of Nebraska. Rodgers only played 2 years in the NFL, starting 7 of 17 total games for the San Diego Chargers. He totaled 234 receiving yards, with 0 touchdowns, and 49 rushing yards, with 0 touchdowns. He also was about an average punt and kickoff returner, although he didn't score any touchdowns doing these, either. Rodgers' career AV was 4. To be fair, though, he did play 4 years in the CFL right out of college, and was good there. And an injury curtailed his time in the NFL.
10) 1944 Les Horvath, halfback/quarterback, Ohio State University. Horvath played in both the AAFC and the NFL, for the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Rams from 1947-49. He competed in 34 total games, with only 3 as a starter. He totaled 221 rushing yards, with 1 touchdown, and 142 receiving yards and 1 additional touchdown. Horvath was also a good punt returner, and intercepted 4 passes on defense. Like with Bertelli, his AV hasn't been computed, and he played in the early days of pro football, so this choice of position is conjectural.
11) 1941 Bruce Smith, halfback, University of Minnesota. Smith suited up for the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams from 1945-48, starting 11 of 31 total games. He rushed for 560 yards (5.2 yard average), and 1 touchdown, while catching passes for 79 yards and 1 other touchdown. He was also a good punt returner, averaging 11.1 yards on 11 returns. Again, hard to judge old timers, and running backs, versus more modern quarterbacks, so his position on this list could be argued.
12) 2012 Johnny Manziel, quarterback, Texas A&M University. Manziel lasted only 2 years in the NFL, with the Cleveland Browns from 2014-15. He played in only 14 games, starting 8. In all, he completed 57% of his passes for 1675 yards, 7 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and a rating of 74.4. He also rushed for 259 yards and 1 touchdown. His career AV was 4. Manziel is arguably more famous for his off the field disasters, with accusations of domestic abuse, and his admitted problems with drug and alcohol addiction. Unlike the others on this list, Manziel is still young enough that he could conceivably made a return to the NFL if he gets his personal act, and ability together. But thus far stints with other pro leagues, like the CFL, have been similarly abysmal.
13) 1989 Andre Ware, quarterback, University of Houston. Ware played with the Detroit Lions from 1990-93, playing in 14 games and starting 6. He completed 51.6% of his passes, for 1112 yards, 5 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and a 63.5 rating. He also added 217 rushing yards and 0 touchdowns. Ware's final AV was 5.
14) 1962 Terry Baker, quarterback, Oregon State University. He played with the Los Angeles Rams from 1963-65, starting 4 of 18 total games. Baker completed 57.1% of his passes for 154 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions, for a rating of 40.7. He did a bit better as a rusher and receiver, finishing with 210 rushing yards and 1 touchdown rushing, and 302 yards and 2 touchdowns as a receiver. Baker's total AV was 6.
15) 1996 Danny Wuerffel, quarterback, University of Florida. Wuerffel played with several NFL teams, including the New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers, and Chicago Bears, from 1997-2002. He started 10 of 25 total games. All told he completed 52.6% of his passes, for 2123 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions, for a rating of 56.4. As a rusher he added 189 yards and 1 touchdown and his AV was 6. I rated him as slightly better, or really, slightly less disappointing than Baker due to his better passer rating, and his having more starts.
16) 2006 Troy Smith, quarterback, Ohio State University. Smith played from 2007-10, with the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers. He competed in 20 games, with 8 starts. He completed 51.7% of his passes for 1734 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions, for a quarterback rating of 78.5. Smith totaled 230 rushing yards, and 3 rushing touchdowns, and had a career AV of 6. I put him ahead of Wuerffel due to his better passer rating.
17) 2000 Chris Weinke, quarterback, Florida State University. Weinke played with the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers from 2001-02, and then 2005-07. He started 20 out of 29 total games. Passing-wise his completion percentage was 54.4, and he accumulated 3904 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 26 interceptions, and a rating of 62.2. He also rushed for 148 yards and 6 touchdowns. His AV was 9. Weinke's career was also unusual because he was a 29 year old rookie, having started football late due to his earlier pro baseball career (which ended in the AAA minors).
18) 2004 Matt Leinart, quarterback, USC. Leinart played for the Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, and Oakland Raiders from 2006-09, and then 2011-12. He started 18 of 33 total games. He completed 57.1% of his passes for 4065 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions, for a rating of 70.2. He added 89 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns as well. Leinart's lifetime AV was 12.
19) 2007 Tim Tebow, quarterback, University of Florida. From 2010-12 Tebow played for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets. He started 16 of 35 games. Tebow completed 47.9% of his passes for 2422 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions, for a rating of 75.3. Tebow's rushing yard total was 989, with 12 rushing touchdowns. His career AV was also 12. I had him above Leinart, despite their identical AVs, since Tebow's rating was slightly higher, he was a significantly better rusher, and he did start in 2 playoff games. After trying pro baseball, Tebow attempted an NFL comeback as a tight end in 2021, with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He didn't make the team. One wonders how successful his career might have been if he'd been willing to play as a tight end or running back in 2013 or so.
One final note--one could make a case for Billy Vessels for this last list, since the 1952 Heisman winner from Oklahoma only played 1 year in the NFL. A halfback, he played 12 games (7 starts) for the Baltimore Colts in 1956. Vessels ended with 215 rushing yards, and 2 rushing touchdowns, and added 177 receiving yards and another touchdown. I kept him off the list because his sole year wasn't too bad for the time, and it felt unfair to include him, since his career ended due to injury, not lack of playing ability.
Finally, some folks might wonder where Archie Griffin is on this final, bad list. Griffin is still the only man to win 2 Heisman trophies, as a running back for Ohio State University in 1974 and 1975. However, while Griffin was certainly a disappointment, overall he was more mediocre than bad, since he finished with 2808 rushing yards, 7 rushing touchdowns, 1607 receiving yards, and 6 receiving touchdowns, in his career with the Cincinnati Bengals from 1976-82. He started 57 out of 98 total games, and his lifetime AV was 41.
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