Video: Earl Campbell awarded Heisman on variety show

The Heisman Trophy ceremony wasn’t always a slick, polished television show dedicated to honoring college football’s most outstanding player. Indeed, it wasn’t until 1982 that the Downtown Athletic Club invited finalists to take part in a live TV production.

Before 1982, the Heisman announcement came any number of ways. But few were as memorable as the 1977 announcement, which came at the end of a variety show hosted by O.J. Simpson and Elliott Gould and featuring such notables as Farrah Fawcett, Reggie Jackson, Paul Hornung and Jay Berwanger.

Have a look at video of the show, complete with commercials for upcoming episodes of such 1970s television hits as “All in the Family” and “Alice”.