Ranking Heisman Trophy winners from 1-81
Matt Leinart 2004 Season Statistics
- Games: 13
- Pass Completions: 269
- Pass Attempts: 412
- Passing Yards: 3,322
- Passing Yards Per Game: 255.5
- Passing Touchdowns: 33
- Interceptions: 6
- Rushing Attempts: 49
- Rushing Yards: -44
- Rushing Yards Per Game: 3.4
- Yards Per Carry: -0.9
- Rushing Touchdowns: 3
A relative unknown on a national scale when he won the starting USC quarterback job as a sophomore during the 2003 season, Matt Leinart quickly became a Heisman Trophy candidate – finishing sixth in the voting – while leading the Trojans to a share of the national championship.
Such a strong start to his career made Leinart one of the early-season favorites for the 2004 Heisman, which he won on the strength of 3,322 passing yards and 33 touchdowns with only six interceptions. After being crowned the Heisman winner, Leinart led USC to the BCS National Championship with a 55-19 victory over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. The Trojans, who began the season ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25, were wire-to-wire champs.
Leinart beat a crowded Heisman field that included Oklahoma’s dynamic duo of true freshman running back Adrian Peterson and defending Heisman-winning quarterback Jason White. Peterson and White each earned more than 150 first-place votes and 950 points, which allowed Leinart to win the award with 267 No. 1 votes and 1,325 total points.
In addition to his Heisman win, Leinart was also named a consensus All-American, AP Player of the Year, Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, and won the Manning Award, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. Leinart surprisingly returned to USC for his senior season and finished third in the Heisman voting behind teammate Reggie Bush.
Roger Staubach 1963 Season Statistics
- Games: 10
- Pass Completions: 128
- Pass Attempts: 192
- Completion Percentage: 66.7
- Passing Yards: 1,702
- Passing Yards Per Game: 170.2
- Passing Touchdowns: 7
- Interceptions: 7
- Rushing Attempts: 168
- Rushing Yards: 371
- Rushing Yards Per Game: 37.1
- Yards Per Carry: 2.2
- Rushing Touchdowns: 9
Though Navy has boasted the best football program of the three FBS service academies in recent years, and climbed as high as No. 15 in the College Football Playoff rankings in 2015, it’s difficult for most college football fans to remember when the Midshipmen produced Heisman Trophy winners and competed for national championships.
In 1963, Navy’s junior quarterback Roger Staubach led the nation by completing 66.7 percent of his passes for 1,702 yards and seven touchdowns with seven interceptions, and was intercepted seven times. Staubach added 371 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 168 carries and led the Midshipmen to a 9-1 regular season record, a No. 2 ranking, and a spot in the Cotton Bowl against No. 1 Texas.
Though his statistics won’t blow the minds of modern football fans, Staubach actually ranked fourth in the country in passing yardage, third in total yardage (2,073) eighth in rushing TDs, and sixth in total touchdowns. Widely considered the best player in the nation, Staubach won the Heisman by securing 517 first-place votes, which were 452 more than Georgia Tech quarterback and runner-up Billy Lothridge.
Staubach was also a consensus All-American and won the Maxwell Award as a junior. Though his statistics took a hit as a senior, and he spent four years in the U.S. Navy after graduating from the academy, Staubach would go on to become one of the most celebrated players in NFL history as the Hall of Fame signal caller for the Dallas Cowboys.
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