25 Heisman Trophy winners with the best NFL careers
By John Buhler
Many former Heisman Trophy winners went on to play in the NFL. Who had the best pro career? Here are the top 25 Heisman winners with the best NFL careers.
Every year since 1935, the Heisman Trophy has been awarded to the most valuable player in college football. Historically, it has gone to the best upperclassmen that star as either a quarterback or a running back. However, in recent years, age hasn’t mattered, as redshirt freshman and sophomores have won the award. There have even been a few non-quarterbacks or running backs to win the award, but not of late.
Given its rich tradition, the Heisman has become synonymous with collegiate football greatness. It is the most iconic individual award in North American sports. The Heisman Trophy is right up there with the Lombardi Trophy and the Stanley Cup for the greatest trophies in North America.
Simply put, winning the Heisman is a huge deal. It takes a young man in his early 20s and turns him into a college football legend for the rest of his life. But what happens when they leave school? Do former Heisman winners achieve the same gridiron success in the NFL?
Though some former Heisman winners’ football games don’t translate to the professional level, here are the 25 winners that ended up having the best NFL careers. Some of these guys are already enshrined in Canton. Maybe a few more join them in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day?
Alan Ameche
Fullback, Wisconsin Badgers (1954)
Fullback Alan Ameche won the Heisman during his senior season with the Wisconsin Badgers in 1954. He would set a career rushing record at Wisconsin with 3,212 career yards, scoring 20 touchdowns and averaging an impressive 4.8 yards per carry.
Ameche would take his talents to the NFL as the No. 3 overall pick by the then Baltimore Colts in the 1955 NFL Draft. He would be a four-time Pro Bowler, a two-time NFL champion and a two-time All-Pro in his first two years in the league.
In his six years with the Colts, Ameche would rush for 4,045 career yards and 40 touchdowns. As a receiver, Ameche had 733 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He was instrumental in the Colts’ NFL Championships in 1958 and 1959. Ameche won Rookie of the Year in 1955.
His signature moment in the NFL was scoring the game-winning touchdown in the 1958 NFL Championship over the New York Giants in overtime. Ameche’s NFL career would be cut short in 1960 after suffering a career-ending Achilles’ tendon injury. A short NFL career probably is what will keep him out of Canton.