Caleb Williams, winner of the 2022 Heisman Trophy, presented at Jazz At Lincoln Center Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, in New York. (Heisman Trophy Trust)
Notes and Quotes from the 88th Heisman Ceremony
Quotes from 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams
On how winning the trophy feels, was it everything he dreamed of?
Yeah it is. I’ve watched it and to now be a part of this fraternity is a blessing. It’s everything I’ve dreamed of.
What does it mean to join USC’s Heisman group?
It’s pretty cool. I hang around those guys all the time at USC, or even here today. Just talking to them and the experience is a blessing. What’s crazy is the guys I talked to in the past, they all have their jersey numbers retired, so it’s pretty cool that the same thing will happen to me, too.
How will your life change now?
I’m sure it will change my life, I just don’t exactly know how yet.
On sharing the winning moment with his parents
It was a lot of happiness, after all the hard work they’ve seen me put in over the years to get me to this point. There were a lot of tears from them and I almost got caught up in it. I can’t thank them enough.
On his wanting to have a seat at the Heisman table
The men behind me were legends and hopefully once I’m done with college football, then I can be one of those people. But as of right now I’ve got a game in three weeks or so and then another year or two at USC after that. It feels good but I do have it in my mind that I still have a game to get ready for.
What does it mean to have your offensive linemen with you?
I told people that can make (bringing the linemen) happen that, if they weren’t here, I wouldn’t show up to New York. Obviously, they made it happen. It means the world to me that they’re here with me. Soon I’m going to go see them and celebrate with them.
On his thorough acceptance speech being reflective of his personality
To play this position you have to be (thorough). I’ve been teaching myself how to be more detailed, more thorough. There are games this year where Coach Riley said we would have lost it last year. Like in the OSU game, I knew I still had to lead and perform and deliver when the time comes.
When did you realize you might win the Heisman?
I think I begin the season every year very high on what can happen, with the sense I’m going to win everything, the national title, the Pac-12 title, the Heisman…because I think so highly of myself and the guys around me. It popped up on my social media during the year but I didn’t think too deeply into it, I just kept trying to win games.
USC coach Lincoln Riley on what the Heisman means to his program
It’s a big moment. These awards are great because it shows what’s happening within the walls of USC football. They are evidence that there’s a lot of great things going on.
Notes on the 2022 Heisman vote
Williams won all six of the Heisman voting regions and was named on 88.57% of ballots.
Williams received 77.37% of all possible points, which is the 12th-highest in the history of the Heisman.
Williams is the sixth sophomore to win the Heisman.
TCU’s Max Duggan was the runner up, the Horned Frogs’ highest finisher since Jim Swink also finished second in 1955.
In all, 46 players received Heisman votes.
Notes on Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams
Caleb Williams is USC’s seventh Heisman winner, joining Matt Leinart (2004), Carson Palmer (2002), Marcus Allen (1981), Charles White (1979), O.J., Simpson (1968) and Mike Garrett (1965).
He’s the first Heisman Trophy for a player from a school in the Pac-12 since Marcus Mariota of Oregon won it in 2014, and the 11th overall.
He’s the 19th quarterback in the last 22 years to win the Heisman and the 38th overall.
USC joins Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Florida and Florida State as the only schools with three quarterback winners.
He’s the sixth sophomore to win and the second in a row following Bryce Young’s 2021 win.
He joins Gino Torretta (’92) as one of two winners to wear the number 13 on his jersey.
He’s the sixth player to win the Heisman after transferring from another Division I or FBS school, joining Felix “Doc” Blanchard (’45, Army/North Carolina), Cam Newton (’10, Auburn/Florida), Baker Mayfield (’17, Oklahoma/Texas Tech), Kyler Murray (’18, Oklahoma/Texas A&M) and Joe Burrow (’19, Ohio State/LSU).
He’s the eighth player to win the Heisman after transferring from another school of any kind, including junior college, joining Felix “Doc” Blanchard (1945), O.J. Simpson (1968), Mike Rozier (1983), Cam Newton (2010), Baker Mayfield (2017). Kyler Murray (2018) and Joe Burrow (2019).
He’s the fourth transfer player in the last six years to win the Heisman. Three of those players have been coached by Lincoln Riley.
He is the first player to win the Heisman who was born in Washington D.C.
He joins John Huarte of Notre Dame (’64) as the only Heisman winner to engineer as much as a 7-win improvement for his school over its previous season. Huarte’s ’64 Notre Dame squad went from 2-7 in ’63 to 9-1 in ’64, while USC went from 4-8 in 2021 to 11-2 in 2022 with Williams at quarterback.
Heisman notes on USC head coach Lincoln Riley
Riley joins Frank Leahy (4), Nick Saban (4), Red Blaik of Army (3) and Woody Hayes (3) as head coaches who have coached at least three Heisman winners.
He joins Tommy Prothro as the only coach to coach Heisman winners at two different schools. Prothro accomplished that feat in 1967 when Gary Beban won it for UCLA after coaching Terry Baker at Oregon State in 1962.
All three of Riley’s Heisman winners are transfers from previous schools. Williams’ win means Riley is the first coach to tutor a Heisman winner at his previous school as well as at his current school.
Riley is the sixth coach to win a Heisman in his first year at a school, joining Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M (’12), Mack Brown at Texas (’98), Ara Parseghian at Notre Dame (’64), Carroll Widdoes at Ohio State (’44) and Eddie Anderson of Iowa (’39). Riley is the ONLY coach to win Heismans in his first season at two different schools.
Riley’s three Heisman winners — Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and now Williams — averaged 4,681 yards of total offense, 9.62 yards per play, 4,156 passing yards, and 48 TDs running and passing in their Heisman-winning seasons.
At age 39, Riley is the first coach to have three Heisman winners before the age of 40.
