Ranking Heisman Trophy winners from 1-81
Davey O’Brien 1938 Season Statistics
- Games: 10
- Pass Completions: 93
- Pass Attempts: 167
- Completion Percentage: 55.7
- Passing Yards: 1,509
- Passing Yards Per Game: 150.9
- Passing Touchdowns: 19
- Interceptions: 4
- Rushing Attempts: 127
- Rushing Yards: 466
- Rushing Yards Per Game: 46.6
- Yards Per Carry: 3.7
- Rushing Touchdowns: 3
Simply the greatest quarterback of his era, and one of the greatest signal callers in college football history, Davey O’Brien was the fourth player ever to win the Heisman Trophy, and he was the first to do so while playing for a school located west of the Mississippi River.
While most modern quarterbacks are listed at six feet or taller and weigh in at 200 pounds or more (and an NFL prototype QB would be in the 6-foot-5, 230-pound range), O’Brien was just 5-foot-7 and 151 pounds when he threw for 1,509 yards and 19 touchdowns with only four interceptions in 1939. O’Brien was a dual-threat player in head coach Dutch Meyer’s double-wing offense, and added 466 rushing yards and three TDs on the ground while helping TCU go 10-0 in the regular season and win the national championship.
Not only did O’Brien play the role of field general for the Horned Frogs, but he was also a standout defender as well and grabbed six interceptions as a defensive back. Put another way, O’Brien accounted for more takeaways than giveaways in the passing game during his Heisman-winning campaign.
In addition to the Heisman, O’Brien was named a consensus All-American and won the Maxwell Award. His name now graces the Davey O’Brien Award, which has been given to the nation’s best QB annually since 1981.
Doak Walker 1948 Season Statistics
- Games: 11
- Rushing Attempts: 122
- Rushing Yards: 598
- Rushing Yards Per Game: 54.4
- Yards Per Carry: 4.9
- Rushing Touchdowns: 8
- Receptions: 16
- Receiving Yards: 284
- Receiving Yards Per Game: 25.8
- Receiving Touchdowns: 3
- Pass Completions: 32
- Pass Attempts: 53
- Passing Yards: 383
- Passing Yards Per Game: 34.8
- Passing Touchdowns: 5
- Interceptions: 4
- Punt Returns: 16.9-yard average on ten returns, 1 TD
- Kick Returns: 32.2-yard average on five returns
- Interceptions (Defense): 3
- Punting: 42.1-yard average on 35 punts
- Kicking: 22 PATs
Just the second junior to win the Heisman Trophy, Doak Walker secured the award in 1948 with one of the best all-around seasons in college football history.
While none of his statistics jump out individually, especially when compared to the explosive numbers put up in today’s era of prolific offenses, Walker proved himself to be the best player in the country in part because he did everything for SMU and helped the Mustangs finish 9-1-1 overall with a No. 10 ranking in the final AP Top 20.
Known as one of the best running backs of all-time (his name bears the trophy given to the nation’s best running back), Walker’s largest impact came with 598 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. Of course, Walker was also an impact player in the passing game – both as a passer and as a receiver. Walker completed 32 of 53 pass attempts (60.4 percent in an era where a 50 percent completion rate was uncommon) for 383 yards and five touchdowns, and was on the receiving end of 16 passes for 284 yards (17.8 yards per catch) and three scores.
Walker handled a great deal of responsibility on special teams as well. In addition to averaging 42.1 yards per punt and connected on 22 extra points, Walker averaged 16.9 yards per punt return, which included a touchdown, and also averaged 32.2 yards on five kick returns. He even made big plays on defense, including five interceptions.
A three-time consensus All-American, Walker won the Maxwell Award in 1947 and he finished third in Heisman Trophy voting as a senior in 1949.
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