Ranking Heisman Trophy winners from 1-81
Nile Kinnick 1939 Season Statistics
- Games: 8
- Rushing Attempts: 106
- Rushing Yards: 374
- Rushing Yards Per Game: 46.8
- Yards Per Carry: 3.5
- Rushing Touchdowns: 5
- Pass Completions: 31
- Pass Attempts: 93
- Passing Yards: 638
- Passing Yards Per Game: 79.8
- Passing Touchdowns: 11
- Interceptions: 13
Numbers don’t always tell the story of a player’s impact.
Iowa legend Nile Kinnick accumulated 374 rushing yards, 638 passing yards, and accounted for 16 total touchdowns for the Hawkeyes in 1939. Kinnick averaged just 3.5 yards per carry and threw 13 interceptions, but he also played defense (and intercepted eight passes), punted, returned kicks and punts and was a drop-kick specialist.
Simply put, Kinnick never came off the field for Iowa, which finished 6-1-1 and ranked No. 10 in the country after having won only two games combined over the previous two seasons.
A consensus All-American, the Maxwell Award winner, and the first football player to be named the Outstanding Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press, Kinnick also gave one of the most appreciated Heisman acceptance speeches in the history of the award. According to his Heisman bio:
"In his acceptance speech at the Heisman Dinner, Kinnick reflected the prevailing isolationist mood of the country, saying that he thanked God he had been born in America, “where they have football fields instead of in Europe where they have battlefields.” And he added that he knew, “the football players of this country had rather battle for such medals as the Heisman Trophy than for such medals as the Croix de Guerre and the Iron Cross.”"
Those words would hit even closer to home four years later. In 1943, Kinnick was killed in action during World War II.
Kinnick was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951. In 1972, Iowa Stadium was renamed Kinnick Stadium. It is the only college football stadium in the country currently named after a Heisman winner.
Rashaan Salaam 1994 Season Statistics
- Games: 11
- Rushing Attempts: 298
- Rushing Yards: 2,055
- Rushing Yards Per Game: 186.8
- Yards Per Carry: 6.9
- Rushing Touchdowns: 24
- Receptions: 24
- Receiving Yards: 294
- Receiving Yards Per Game: 26.7
- Receiving Touchdowns: 0
Sometimes Heisman Trophy winners come out of nowhere to post an historic season. Colorado running back Rashaan Salaam was a little-used backup as a freshman in 1992 and gained 158 rushing yards and one touchdown in seven games. As a sophomore, Salaam was a much larger part of the offense, and ran for 844 yards and eight scores, but shared the load with leading rusher Lamont Warren and quarterback Kordell Stewart.
Then, as a junior, Salaam exploded to become just the third player in history to surpass 2,000 rushing yards in a single season. Salaam led the nation with 2,055 rushing yards on 298 carries (which ranked second overall) for an incredible 6.9 yards per attempt that ranked second nationally. His 24 rushing touchdowns were also the most in the country, as were his 24 total touchdowns, 322 touches from scrimmage and his 2,349 total yards of offense.
The 225-pound ball carrier surpassed 100 yards ten times and posted four 200-yard games. Salaam’s production not only earned him a blowout victory in the Heisman race over challengers Ki-Jana Carter, Steve McNair and Kerry Collins, it also made him a consensus All-American, the Doak Walker Award winner and the Walter Camp Player of the Year. With Salaam carrying most of the load, the Buffaloes were 11-1 and finished the season ranked No. 3 in the AP Top 25.
Next: No. 23-22