Ranking Heisman Trophy winners from 1-81
Steve Owens 1969 Season Statistics
- Games: 10
- Rushing Attempts: 358
- Rushing Yards: 1,523
- Rushing Yards Per Game: 152.3
- Yards Per Carry: 4.3
- Rushing Touchdowns: 23
- Receptions: 4
- Receiving Yards: 32
- Receiving Touchdowns: 0
- Passing: 2-for-3, 25 YD
Though his team posted a disappointing 6-4 record in 1969, Oklahoma fullback Steve Owens impressed voters enough to win the Heisman Trophy in a close race with Purdue quarterback Mike Phipps.
On the strength of 1,523 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns (which ranked second and third in the country, respectively) gained by carrying the football a nation-leading 358 times, Owens earned 294 first-place votes and 1,488 points. Phipps ranked second with 226 No. 1 votes and 1,334 points in the polling. The second Oklahoma player to win the Heisman, Owens also earned consensus All-American honors in 1969 and was named the Walter Camp Player of the Year.
As a sophomore, Owens ran for 869 yards and 13 touchdowns for a 10-1 Oklahoma squad that finished ranked No. 3 in the country in 1967. The following season, Owens broke out with 1,536 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns while the Sooners finished 7-4. In three seasons in Norman, Owens set an NCAA record with 3,867 rushing yards (4,041 including bowl games), which stood until Cornell running back Ed Marinaro broke it two years later. Owens also finished his college career with a school-record 57 touchdowns, a mark that stood until 2010.
After college, Owens was selected in the first round of the 1970 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions and became the first player in franchise history to run for more than 1,000 yards in a season in 1971.
Glenn Davis 1946 Season Statistics
- Games: 10
- Rushing Attempts: 123
- Rushing Yards: 712
- Rushing Yards Per Game: 71.2
- Yards Per Carry: 5.8
- Rushing Touchdowns: 7
- Receptions: 20
- Receiving Yards: 356
- Receiving Yards Per Game: 35.6
- Receiving Touchdowns: 6
Known as “Mr. Outside” in the famous Army football duo with “Mr. Inside” Doc Blanchard, Glenn Davis nearly won the Heisman Trophy as a both a sophomore in 1944 and as a junior in 1945. Davis was Army’s top offensive weapon in both seasons, and played a big role in the back-to-back 9-0 records and national championships, earning consensus All-American honors and twice finishing as the runner-up along the way.
In 1944, Davis won the Maxwell Award after amassing 888 total yards of offense and 18 touchdowns from scrimmage and set NCAA records with more than 11 yards per carry and 20 total touchdowns, but Ohio State’s Les Horvath won the Heisman. The following season, Davis led the Black Knights in both rushing (930 yards) and receiving (213 yards) and was responsible for 17 touchdowns, but Blanchard earned college football’s top individual honor.
Had Davis won the Heisman in either of his first two seasons, he probably would have ranked slightly higher on this list. Instead, while still sharing the backfield with Blanchard in 1945, Davis finally won the Heisman after running for 712 yards and seven touchdowns and hauling in 20 receptions for 356 yards and six more scores. Davis’ production helped him beat a strong group including runner-up Charley Trippi, as well as two other Heisman winners Blanchard and Notre Dame quarterback John Lujack.
A tremendous athlete that also lettered in baseball, track, and basketball while at West Point, Davis helped Army post a record of 27-0-1 in three seasons on the gridiron. In those three years, Davis accumulated 5,161 yards of total offense, 59 touchdowns and 354 points – all of which were Army records. His career average of 8.3 yards per carry is still an NCAA record.
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