Heisman 2016: 5 reasons Dede Westbrook should win
By John Buhler
Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Dede Westbrook has been electrifying this season. Here are five reasons he can win the 2016 Heisman Trophy on Saturday.
On ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown, former Heisman Trophy winners Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson announced who the five Heisman finalists were for the 2016 ceremony.
Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson and Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson came as no surprise. Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield definitely earned the invite.
Then there were two that had some people scratching their heads: Michigan Wolverines linebacker Jabrill Peppers and Oklahoma wide receiver Dede Westbrook.
Peppers will be a top-five in the 2017 NFL Draft, so his inclusion comes as no surprise. For those that watch Westbrook tear it up for the Sooners this season, he definitely earned the right for the trip to New York. It’ll scare people, but here are five reasons Westbrook can win the 2016 Heisman Trophy.
5. Heisman voters need to look past quarterbacks, running backs
The Heisman Trophy isn’t as beloved of a college football award as it once was. Like NFL MVP, the Heisman has become way to quarterback/running back centric that players at other positions don’t even have a chance.
The last two non-quarterbacks/running backs to win the Heisman Trophy were Charles Woodson (1997) and Desmond Howard (1991) while at the University of Michigan. Howard was a wide receiver/return specialist. Woodson was a cornerback/wide receiver.returner for the maize and blue.
The analytics movement in sports has found its way to the college game in the last few years. College football can now track who the best player is in the game regardless of position thanks to the increased prevalence of statistical data across the sport. It’s not just quarterbacks and running backs that can positively impact games on the stats sheet.
By giving the Heisman to Westbrook, it would signify that the Heisman voters are finally progressive in determining who the best player in college football really is regardless of position. Since Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Jonathan Allen didn’t get the invite, why not give it to the best deep threat in the college game today in Oklahoma’s Westbrook?