Greatest Heisman Winners of All Time

[Norsk_Gopher]

Per CFN, Golden Gopher Bruce Smith (HB, 1941) is the 27th greatest Heisman winner of all time. Here is what they say:

The superstar of the unbeaten Gophers, Smith wasn't going to play against Iowa due to a knee injury. In what would be the national title game, Smith forced his way into the game and set up three TDs on the way to a 34-13 win and the championship.

http://cfn.scout.com/2/1029645.html

 

[Gopher Bandanna Guy]

Nice to see they got the 'Greatest Heisman Winner of All-Time' right.

Barry. 'Nuff said.

Don't believe it? Look at the numbers, and then find some of his Okie State highlight footage.

 

[cemba99]

Love this comment regarding the 78th (out of 79) "greatest" Heisman winner

78. 1953 Johnny Lattner, HB Notre Dame
runner-up: Paul Giel, HB Minnesota

Call this one for the Notre Dame hype machine. Lattner didn't even lead the Irish in passing, rushing, receiving or scoring. He was a great all-purpose player and a fantastic defensive back, but his close win over Minnesota's Paul Giel is among Heisman historians' all-time arguments.

Also nice to see a reminder of Tom Brown's runner-up status in 1960. (He was beaten by Joe Bellino, a Navy RB - who was ranked a respectable 20th on this list.) Tom is the highest finishing lineman in the history of the Heisman.

As I read down the list, I began to wonder if writer Pete Fiutak has something against Notre Dame in general. The Fightin' Irish have 7 Heisman trophy winners, the highest on Fiutak's list comes in at 61. They also make up 4 of the "bottom ten" winners.

 

[BigTenGuy]

Giel got screwed in 1953. Giel won the Silver Football (Big Ten MVP) twice, one of only 3 players to win it twice, whereas Bruce Smith did not win the Silver Football, and, I believe, is the only Big Ten Heisman winner not to do so. One can make a good argument that Giel, not Smith is the best running back in Gopher history.

 

[Great Plains Gopher]

Giel got screwed in 1953. Giel won the Silver Football (Big Ten MVP) twice, one of only 3 players to win it twice, whereas Bruce Smith did not win the Silver Football, and, I believe, is the only Big Ten Heisman winner not to do so. One can make a good argument that Giel, not Smith is the best running
back in Gopher history.

Giel was also the AP and UPI player of the year and Grantland Rice's Player of the Year on his All-America squad ("The Player of the Year is Giel, an open-field magician, a clutch passer, a field general and a defensive stalwart, who goes down not only with the best in the Big Ten , like Red Grange and Tommy Harmon, but with the best in any section in any era." Giel did all the punting, too, and played defense all-game.

 

[GophersInIowa]

Nice to see they got the 'Greatest Heisman Winner of All-Time' right.

Barry. 'Nuff said.

Don't believe it? Look at the numbers, and then find some of his Okie State highlight footage.

If you count the bowl game stats like they do now, he 2,850 yards and 44 TD in 12 games. Incredible.

He averaged 238 yards and 3.7 TD's a game. For comparison, the leading rusher this year, Andre Williams, averaged 175 per game.

Also interesting is that Sanders rushed for 947 yards total his first two years at Oklahoma St.

 

[PartoPitinosPosse]

Giel did get screwed.

And Smith, as good of an all-around player as he was, also wasn't the leading rusher on his own team. I believe that was Bill Daley.

Pug Lund got screwed in that the Heisman Trophy didn't start being awarded until 2 years after he finished up.


Had the AP poll started up in 34 instead of 36, and the Heisman the same year, the Gophers would have 1 more Heisman winner and 2 more AP Natl Titles. Not that its a big deal, just saying.

 

[PartoPitinosPosse]

Love this comment regarding the 78th (out of 79) "greatest" Heisman winner

78. 1953 Johnny Lattner, HB Notre Dame
runner-up: Paul Giel, HB Minnesota

Call this one for the Notre Dame hype machine. Lattner didn't even lead the Irish in passing, rushing, receiving or scoring. He was a great all-purpose player and a fantastic defensive back, but his close win over Minnesota's Paul Giel is among Heisman historians' all-time arguments.

Also nice to see a reminder of Tom Brown's runner-up status in 1960. (He was beaten by Joe Bellino, a Navy RB - who was ranked a respectable 20th on this list.) Tom is the highest finishing lineman in the history of the Heisman.

As I read down the list, I began to wonder if writer Pete Fiutak has something against Notre Dame in general. The Fightin' Irish have 7 Heisman trophy winners, the highest on Fiutak's list comes in at 61. They also make up 4 of the "bottom ten" winners.

Might be interesting if someone did a Top 100 Heisman winners/candidates list. With the idea that a winner isn't necessarily guaranteed to make the list, and that a 3rd place finisher wouldn't be guaranteed not to make the list.


My guess is Giel and Brown would both make the Top 100. I doubt that they'd give George Frank any consideration, because those kinds of lists usually give more credit to more recent players, but you never know?