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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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SOUTH BEND, IN - NOVEMBER 8: Leon Hart of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish catches a pass from Johnny Lujack as Hart tries to break free from the Army Black Knights defenders on November 8, 1947 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. The Fighting Irish defeated the Black Knights 27-7. (Photo by Collegiate Images/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN – NOVEMBER 8: Leon Hart of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish catches a pass from Johnny Lujack as Hart tries to break free from the Army Black Knights defenders on November 8, 1947 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. The Fighting Irish defeated the Black Knights 27-7. (Photo by Collegiate Images/Getty Images) /

Bruce Smith 1941 Season Statistics

  • Games: 8
  • Rushing Attempts: 84
  • Rushing Yards: 473
  • Rushing Yards Per Game: 59.1
  • Yards Per Carry: 5.6
  • Rushing Touchdowns: 5
  • Pass Completions: 13
  • Pass Attempts: 31
  • Passing Yards: 320
  • Passing Yards Per Game: 40.0
  • Passing Touchdowns: 2
  • Interceptions: 2

Angelo Bertelli nearly won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore in 1941, but was edged out by Minnesota halfback Bruce Smith, who also beat another future winner in fourth-place finisher Frank Sinkwich.

A dual-threat ball-handler for the Golden Gophers in their Single Wing offense, Smith helped Minnesota post consecutive 8-0 records worthy of back-to-back national championships in 1940 and 1941. In his Heisman-winning season, Smith completed just 13 of 31 pass attempts, but threw for 320 yards (24.6 yards per completion) with two touchdowns and two interceptions and accumulated 473 rushing yards and five TDs on the ground.

After his college career ended, Smith went on to an eventual life in the military and the NFL. According to his Heisman.com bio:

"Smith went on to become a Navy fighter pilot, and also played service football for the Great Lake Navy team. He returned home in 1945, and signed  on with the Green Bay Packers and later with the Los Angeles Rams. He played for four years in the NFL, mostly on defense, but injuries prevented him from performing up to his unbelievable collegiate standards. In 1947, he nearly died when he suffered a ruptured kidney during a Chicago Bears game. With that, he retired at the young age of 29, and moved back to his native Faribault to raise his family. Smith was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1972, and in 1977, he became the first Minnesota player to have his number (54) retired."

While Smith’s offensive production doesn’t impress compared with modern standards, Smith was nevertheless the best player on the nation’s best team, which also helped to establish a basic precedent for many Heisman voters in the decades that followed.

Leon Hart 1949 Season Statistics

  • Games: 10
  • Rushing Attempts: 18
  • Rushing Yards: 73
  • Rushing Yards Per Game: 7.3
  • Yards Per Carry: 4.1
  • Rushing Touchdowns: 0
  • Receptions: 19
  • Receiving Yards: 257
  • Receiving Yards Per Game: 25.7
  • Receiving Touchdowns: 5

Based only on pure statistics, Notre Dame end Leon Hart, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1949 after catching 19 passes for 257 yards (an average of 13.5 yards per catch and 25.7 yards per game), could make a strong case as the weakest Heisman winner of all-time.

However, there are several key points that save Hart from the bottom spot on our list. First of all, Hart dominated the Heisman voting, having earned 995 total votes. Runner-up Charlie Justice received just 272 points. Also, Hart won the Maxwell Award, which is also given annually to the nation’s most outstanding player.

College football offenses were run very differently in 1949. Statistics from that era are incomplete, but it’s safe to assume that Hart’s 257 receiving yards and five touchdowns both ranked among the nation’s leaders. Additionally, Hart had already established himself as the country’s best offensive end as a junior, and earned consensus All-American honors after catching 16 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns in 1948.

Furthermore, Hart was known as a punishing blocker that helped Notre Dame quarterback John Lujack win the Heisman two seasons earlier. Hart also played defensive end in addition to his role as a tight end in Notre Dame’s T-Formation offense, and measured in at a hulking 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds that makes him the biggest Heisman winner in history to this day.

Finally, Hart was the epitome of “a winner,” having never lost a game during his four seasons with the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame was 36-0-2 in his four years in South Bend, which included three national championships. In 1949, Hart was part of a perfect 10-0 squad that was dominant on both side of the football and finished the season ranked in the nation’s top six in scoring offense (36.0 points per game) and scoring defense (8.6 points allowed per game).

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