Heisman Trophy winners in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Winning the Heisman Trophy doesn’t guarantee success in the NFL, but for these players, they went from Heisman to Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Baker Mayfield, Bryce Love and Lamar Jackson are the finalists for the Heisman Trophy this year with Mayfield the prohibitive favorite. All three players are expected to be in the NFL next year where they hope to see their success in college football carry over to the next level where things will be much more challenging than what they experienced during their time on campus.
A Heisman win doesn’t always guarantee success at the next level but for a small group of winners, it did translate to success in the pros. And not just success, but nine Heisman Trophy winners have reached the pinnacle and have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Doak Walker, Paul Hornung, Roger Staubach, O.J. Simpson, Tony Dorsett, Earl Campbell, Marcus Allen, Barry Sanders and Tim Brown. Charles Woodson is not eligible yet for the Hall of Fame, but the 1997 winner is a shoe-in to be enshrined on the first ballot. Woodson will push that total to 10 winners in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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Prior to the 2017 winner being announced, there have been 82 winners. Including Woodson, that means 10/82 winners are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, or 12.2 percent of winners.
Imagine that, only 12 percent of winners were able to see their success in college football translate to the pro game where they remained at the top of the sport. Sure, some of the early Heisman winners didn’t even pursue a professional career because of many reasons. The primary one being professional football was in its infancy the first three decades the Heisman was awarded, so you have to account for that.
In the modern era of the NFL, only Oklahoma’s Jason White is the only winner not to play in the NFL, even in the preseason.
Next: Heisman winners with the best NFL careers
Think there’s a chance we see Mayfield or Jackson in Canton, Ohio one day as members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame? The odds are stacked against them.