Fansided

Ranking Heisman Trophy winners from 1-81

By Nicholas Ian Allen

Dec 14, 2013; New York, NY, USA; The Heisman Trophy is seen during a press conference before the announcement of the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 14, 2013; New York, NY, USA; The Heisman Trophy is seen during a press conference before the announcement of the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /
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NOV 4 1978, NOV 5 1978; Colorado University Athletics Football; Billy Sims Finds Daylight and Lots of It -áAs Oklahoma Pounds Out Another Gain Against; Sooner running back takes handoff from Thomas Lott (6) to ramble for some of the 221 yards he covered in Oklahoma's 28-7 victory over Golden Buffs.; (Photo By Steve Larson/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
NOV 4 1978, NOV 5 1978; Colorado University Athletics Football; Billy Sims Finds Daylight and Lots of It -áAs Oklahoma Pounds Out Another Gain Against; Sooner running back takes handoff from Thomas Lott (6) to ramble for some of the 221 yards he covered in Oklahoma’s 28-7 victory over Golden Buffs.; (Photo By Steve Larson/The Denver Post via Getty Images) /

Jay Berwanger 1935 Season Statistics: Unavailable

The first Heisman Trophy winner didn’t actually win the “Heisman Trophy.” University of Chicago running back Jay Berwanger was awarded the DAC Trophy in 1935, named after the Downtown Athletic Club in New York, who sponsored its creation.

The DAC Trophy was originally designed to honor the best college football player east of the Mississippi River. Berwanger was the first to hoist the bronze statue after beating out Army’s Monk Meyer, Notre Dame’s William Shakespeare and Princeton’s Pepper Constable in the voting. The 200-pound halfback’s 84 total votes were more than the three contenders combined.

According to Berwanger’s Heisman.com bio:

"Even in an era before football teams were divided up into offensive and defensive squads, Berwanger was renowned for his versatility. He called plays, ran, passed, punted, blocked, tackled, kicked off, kicked extra points, and returned punts and kickoffs. Berwanger’s list of nicknames was just as long: “Genius of the Gridiron,” “the One-man Team,” “the Flying Dutchman” (though his ancestry was actually German) and “the Man in the Iron Mask” (because he wore a special face guard to protect his twice-broken nose)."

Berwanger’s bio also notes:

"Game-by-game stats are missing from much of Berwanger’s time at Chicago, but our best calculations show that, in his career, he rushed for 1,839 yards on 439 carries, averaged 4.2 yards per rush with 22 touchdowns, kicked 20 extra points and completed 50 of 146 passes for 921 yards. He also averaged 46.3 yards on 34 kickoffs and 38 yards on 233 punts."

After graduating from Chicago, Berwanger was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles but did not sign. Famously, Berwanger used what was soon renamed the Heisman Trophy as a doorstop in his library.

Billy Sims 1978 Season Statistics

  • Games: 11
  • Rushing Attempts: 231
  • Rushing Yards: 1,762
  • Rushing Yards Per Game: 160.2
  • Yards Per Carry: 7.6
  • Rushing Touchdowns: 20
  • Receptions: 1
  • Receiving Yards: 35
  • Receiving Touchdowns: 0

Oklahoma running back Billy Sims struggled with injuries during his first three seasons on campus and ran for only 552 yards and six touchdowns from 1975 to 1977. Alas, Sims became a household name in his fourth year with the Sooners by winning the Heisman Trophy.

Playing in Barry Switzer’s powerful Wishbone offense, Sims became Oklahoma’s top ball carrier in 1978 and racked up 1,762 rushing yards on just 231 carries in the regular season – an eye-popping average of 7.6 yards per attempt – and led the nation with 20 rushing touchdowns.

Taking into account his production in the Orange Bowl against Nebraska (in which the Sooners avenged their only loss of the year to earn an 11-1 final record), Sims finished with a school record 1,896 rushing yards and 23 TDs. That mark stood until Adrian Peterson surpassed it in 2004.

Sims was the first Oklahoma running back to run for more than 200 yards four times in a single season, and the third to win the Heisman. However, despite Sims’ prolific rushing stats, he faced stiff competition for the award. Penn State quarterback Chuck Fusina actually received more first place votes than Sims (163 to 151) and Sims won by a narrow overall margin of 77 points.

Eligible to play a fifth season because of a medical redshirt early in his career, Sims nearly won the Heisman Trophy again in 1979. In 11 regular season games, Sims ran for 1,506 yards and led the nation with 22 touchdowns on his way to consensus All-American honors for the second straight season. He finished second in Heisman voting behind USC’s Charles White. Despite playing only two full seasons, Sims also left Oklahoma as the school’s all-time leading rusher.

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