Trivia Contest - Without Looking it up - Who was the last Gopher Football Heisman Finalist?

[MNVCGUY]

Curious if anyone can name the last Gopher Football player who finished in the top 3 for the Heisman. I looked it up in another thread and it was not who I would have expected it to be. I'm honestly curious if anyone can guess it without looking it up. And I am especially curious if anyone can name the person before the most recent one.....that would be some really impressive Gopher football knowledge.

It's the off season....let's see what you guys know

 

[Ope3]

Darrell Thompson is my guess.

 

[upnorthkid]

that is most certainly not who I would've guessed but fit with the era I was figuring it was in. Well done @MNVCGUY for a fun question

 

[HitMeAgainIAmStillMoving]

Bobby Bell....maybe Carl? I have a neighbor who saw Tommy Mason in person, tells me he is best Gopher QB ever so I will add him. I will limit myself to every Gopher who ever suited up.

Someone drove to my house and told me what a fool I am. Sandy Stephens is who I meant. Not Tommy.

 

[BuiltFordTough]

Bobby Bell....maybe Carl? I have a neighbor who saw Tommy Mason in person, tells me he is best Gopher QB ever so I will add him. I will limit myself to every Gopher who ever suited up.

Who is Tommy Mason and when did he play?

 

[BuiltFordTough]

Who is Tommy Mason and when did he play?

The only Tommy Mason that I know of was the first draft choice of the Minnesota Vikings in 1961 and he play Running Back.

 

[Joe Hardy]

Paul Giel. Back to back years.

 

[HitMeAgainIAmStillMoving]

The only Tommy Mason that I know of was the first draft choice of the Minnesota Vikings in 1961 and he play Running Back.

Somehow I confused him with Sandy Stephens. I will drink a beer to clear my head.

 

[southernoregongopher]

Tom Brown - 1960

 

[Unregistered User]

Hayo Carpenter

 

[MNVCGUY]

Tom Brown - 1960

Pretty strong first post, especially if you didn't look it up first.....Tom Brown was the obscure one that I would not have guessed. Seems crazy in this current day to consider an Offensive Lineman as a Heisman candidate but it has happened a few times through the years (most recently 1973).

So that will narrow it down to 1961 to present in terms of our last Heisman finalist. Keep the guesses coming, won't say if it has or has not already been guessed though I will say that Unregistered User is not correct with the Hayo Carpenter guess

 

[BTChamp]

Jeff Jones

 

[Gophergrandpa]

Paul Giel

 

[GopherRock]

Sandy Stephens?

 

[gopherphil]

Laurence Maroney.

 

[GopherTheJugular]

Tony Rice.

Oh, wait...wrong team.

 

[Texan Gopher]

L Maroney

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

Tom Brown is my guess.

 

[Some guy]

Paul Geil is my guess

 

[Goldmember]

Bruce Smith

 

[MNVCGUY]

In spite of his getting one of the all-time greats at Minnesota confused with a white RB who didn't play for the Gophers, Hit me Again nailed it with Bobby Bell being our last finalist in 1962.

Heisman Trophy winners, runners-up since 1935

Here is every Heisman Trophy winner and runner-up in the trophy's history from 1935 to today.

www.ncaa.com

Honorable mention to those that mentioned Paul Giel, he was in the top 3 in both 1952 and 1953. And Tom Brown was the runner-up in 1960

 

[caliGopher]

Hayo Carpenter

Wasn't he before Jeff Jones?

 

[Unregistered User]

In spite of his getting one of the all-time greats at Minnesota confused with a white RB who didn't play for the Gophers, Hit me Again nailed it with Bobby Bell being our last finalist in 1962.

Heisman Trophy winners, runners-up since 1935

Here is every Heisman Trophy winner and runner-up in the trophy's history from 1935 to today.

www.ncaa.com

Honorable mention to those that mentioned Paul Giel, he was in the top 3 in both 1952 and 1953. And Tom Brown was the runner-up in 1960

I think you missed one:

 

[FinnGopher]

Bronco Nagurski!
That's my final answer.

 

[chestrockwell]

Paul Giel

 

[chestrockwell]

oops