Heisman snubs: 10 best players who got the stiff-arm from Heisman voters

Peyton Manning not winning a Heisman Trophy is one of the biggest travesties in SEC history. None of the Manning clan won a Heisman, even though Archie, Eli and Peyton were all finalists for the award. Manning and his Tennessee Volunteers playing poorly against the Florida Gators in 1997 is the biggest reason he didn’t win the Heisman. But why is he only coming at No. 7 here?

What you have to understand is the four men up for the Heisman in 1997 were some of the most outstanding players college football has ever seen: Manning, Washington State cougars quarterback Ryan Leaf, Marshall Thundering Herd wide receiver Randy Moss and the award’s winner in Michigan Wolverines cornerback Charles Woodson. It was stiff competition for sure.

Manning and Leaf went No. 1 and No. 2 in the 1998 NFL Draft. Though Leaf was a massive bust with the then-San Diego Chargers, he was a sensational signal-caller in the Pac-10 for the Cougars. Obviously, we know that Moss would go on to have a Pro Football Hall of Fame career with primarily the Minnesota Vikings and the New England Patriots.

Manning and Woodson will be first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famers, like Moss, as soon as they are eligible in 2021. Manning was a star quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos, while Woodson was one of the most talented defensive backs there ever was with the Oakland Raiders and the Green Bay Packers. Manning should have won, but Woodson was worthy.