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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 8, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) runs with the ball during the second half against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Oregon won 51-27. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 8, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) runs with the ball during the second half against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Oregon won 51-27. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /

Marcus Mariota 2014 Season Statistics

  • Games: 15
  • Pass Completions: 304
  • Pass Attempts: 445
  • Passing Yards: 4,454
  • Passing Yards Per Game: 296.9
  • Passing Touchdowns: 42
  • Interceptions: 4
  • Rushing Attempts: 135
  • Rushing Yards: 770
  • Rushing Yards Per Game: 51.3
  • Yards Per Carry: 5.7
  • Rushing Touchdowns: 15
  • Receiving: 1 REC, 26 YD. 1 TD

Marcus Mariota was the first Oregon football player and the first Hawaii-born player to win the Heisman Trophy when he secured the award after the 2014 regular season.

Lightly recruited as a high school player – particularly when compared to the vast majority of players that would later become Heisman winners – Mariota blossomed in Chip Kelly’s offense as a redshirt freshman and led the Ducks to a 12-1 record in 2012 and threw for 2,677 yards and 32 touchdown while adding 752 rushing yards and five TDs on the ground. Mariota added 3,665 passing yards and 31 touchdowns as a junior in addition to 715 rushing yards and nine touchdown runs, and entered his junior season as the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman – which he did in dominant fashion.

In 2014, Mariota secured 90.9 percent of the Heisman vote, which ranks second on the all-time list. At the time of the vote, he had accounted for 53 total touchdowns, which tied Sam Bradford for the most ever by a Heisman winner. Of course, because Mariota led Oregon to the very first College Football Playoff National Championship Game, he had two opportunities to improve on that statistic. After falling short of the national title, Mariota finished with 42 touchdown passes, 15 rushing TDs and a touchdown reception.

Though his season totals (4,454 passing yards, 770 rushing yards, and 58 touchdowns) are somewhat inflated by playing in 15 games, Mariota’s per-game statistical averages still rank as some of the best among Heisman winners.

Charles Woodson 1997 Season Statistics

  • Games: 11
  • Tackles: 43
  • Interceptions: 7
  • Receptions: 11
  • Receiving Yards: 231
  • Receiving Yards Per Game: 21.0
  • Receiving Touchdowns: 2
  • Rushing: 3 ATT, 15 YDs, 1 TD
  • Punt Returns: 33 RET, 283 YD, 1 TD

The only primarily defensive player has even won the Heisman Trophy, Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson beat out one of the toughest candidate fields ever for the award in 1997, including runner-up Peyton Manning.

As a junior, Woodson recorded 43 tackles and seven interceptions for the Wolverines, which helped him to claim the Bronco Nagurski and Chuck Bednarik Awards, which are given annually to the best defensive player in college football, as well as the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s best defensive back. Woodson was also named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and the Walter Camp Player of the Year, and also earned consensus All-American honors.

Of course, despite its claim to be awarded to the best player in college football the Heisman has been primarily an offensive award, and Woodson would need to make a larger impact to claim it. After first playing sparingly on offense as a wide receiver as a sophomore, Woodson emerged as a big-play threat as a junior with 11 receptions, 231 receiving yards and two touchdown catches and also scored on a TD run. Woodson was also the team’s primary punt returner, and scored on a punt return as well.

Woodson won the Heisman by securing 433 first-place votes to Manning’s 263. He also helped Michigan finish 12-0, including a 21-16 victory over Washington State and quarterback Ryan Leaf (who finished third in Heisman voting) to capture the program’s first national championship since 1948.

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