Notes on the 2019 Heisman finalists
The four finalists for the 2019 Heisman Trophy are set. They’ll be heading to New York on Friday to take part in all the festivities surrounding the announcement of the 85th annual award.
Here are a few items of note about Heisman finalist lore for all you trophy aficionados out there:
— There have now been 159 players invited to New York as Heisman finalists since the practice was first instituted in 1982.
— The first Heisman finalists were Herschel Walker, John Elway and Eric Dickerson.
–There have been three finalists invited 11 times, four finalists 11 times, five finalists 12 times, six finalists twice and eight finalists once (in 1989). No more than six finalists (in 1994 and 2013) have ever attended the ceremony.
— This is the first year with four finalists since 2010.
— Joe Burrow is LSU’s second Heisman finalists, joining Tyrann Mathieu in 2011.
— Justin Fields and Chase Young are Ohio State’s sixth and seventh Heisman finalists, joining Keith Byars (’84), Eddie George (’95), Orlando Pace (’96), Troy Smith (’06) and Dwayne Haskins (’18).
— Jalen Hurts is Oklahoma’s record-setting 11th Heisman finalist, joining Brian Bosworth (’86), Josh Heupel (’00), Jason White (’03, ’04), Adrian Petersen (’04), Sam Bradford(’08), Baker Mayfield (’16, ’17), Dede Westbrook (’16) and Kyler Murray (’18).
— All three of the quarterback finalists started their careers at different schools: Burrow at Ohio State, Fields at Georgia and Hurts at Alabama. If one of these players wins the Heisman, it will mark the third straight season that a transfer player has won the award. Prior to 2017, just four transfer players — Doc Blanchard in ’45 (North Carolina), O.J. Simpson in ’68 (Junior College), Mike Rozier in ’83 (JC) and Cam Newton in ’10 (Florida/JC) — managed to win the trophy.
— Young is just the fourth defensive lineman to be named a Heisman finalist.
The complete list of Heisman finalists:
1982
Herschel Walker, Georgia
John Elway, Stanford*
Eric Dickerson, SMU
1983
Mike Rozier, Nebraska
Steve Young, BYU
Doug Flutie, Boston College
1984
Doug Flutie, Boston College
Keith Byars, Ohio State
Robbie Bosco, BYU*
Bernie Kosar, Miami (Fla)
1985
Bo Jackson, Auburn
Chuck Long, Iowa
Robbie Bosco, BYU*
Lorenzo White, Michigan State
Vinny Testaverde, Miami (Fla)
1986
Vinny Testaverde, Miami (Fla)
Paul Palmer, Temple
Jim Harbaugh, Michigan*
Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma
D.J. Dozier, Penn State*
1987
Tim Brown, Notre Dame
Don McPherson, Syracuse
Gordon Lockbaum, Holy Cross
Lorenzo White, Michigan State
Craig Heyward, Pittsburgh
1988
Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State*
Rodney Peete, USC
Troy Aikman, UCLA
Steve Walsh, Miami (Fla)*
Major Harris, West Virginia
1989
Andrew Ware, Houston*
Anthony Thompson, Indiana
Major Harris, West Virginia
Tony Rice, Notre Dame
Darian Hagan, Colorado
Dee Dowis, Air Force*
Emmitt Smith, Florida*
Blair Thomas, Penn State*
1990
Ty Detmer, BYU*
Raghib Ismail, Notre Dame
Eric Bieniemy, Colorado
Shawn Moore, Virginia
David Klingler, Houston
1991
Desmond Howard, Michigan
Casey Weldon, Florida State
Ty Detmer, BYU
Steve Emtman, Washington
1992
Gino Torretta, Miami (Fla)
Marshall Faulk, San Diego State
Garrison Hearst, Georgia
1993
Charlie Ward, Florida State
Heath Shuler, Tennessee
David Palmer, Alabama
1994
Rashaan Salaam, Colorado
Ki-Jana Carter, Penn State
Steve McNair, Alcorn State
Kerry Collins, Penn State
Jay Barker, Alabama
Warren Sapp, Miami (Fla)
1995
Eddie George, Ohio State
Tommie Frazier, Nebraska
Danny Wuerffel, Florida
Darnell Autry, Northwestern
Troy Davis, Iowa State
1996
Danny Wuerffel, Florida
Troy Davis, Iowa State
Jake Plummer, Arizona State
Orlando Pace, Ohio State
1997
Charles Woodson, Michigan
Peyton Manning, Tennessee
Ryan Leaf, Washington State
Randy Moss, Marshall
1998
Ricky Williams, Texas
Michael Bishop, Kansas State
Cade McNown, UCLA
Tim Couch, Kentucky
1999
Ron Dayne, Wisconsin
Joe Hamilton, Georgia Tech
Michael Vick, Virginia Tech
Drew Brees, Purdue
Chad Pennington, Marshall
2000
Chris Weinke, Florida State
Josh Heupel, Oklahoma
Drew Brees, Purdue
LaDainian Tomlinson, TCU
2001
Eric Crouch, Nebraska
Rex Grossman, Florida
Ken Dorsey, Miami (Fla)
Joey Harrington, Oregon
2002
Carson Palmer, USC
Brad Banks, Iowa
Larry Johnson, Penn State
Willis McGahee, Miami (Fla)
Ken Dorsey, Miami (Fla)
2003
Jason White, Oklahoma
Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh
Eli Manning, Mississippi
Chris Perry, Michigan
2004
Matt Leinart, USC
Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma
Jason White, Oklahoma
Alex Smith, Utah
Reggie Bush, USC
2005
Vince Young, Texas
Matt Leinart, USC
2006
Troy Smith, Ohio State
Darren McFadden, Arkansas
Brady Quinn, Notre Dame
2007
Tim Tebow, Florida
Darren McFadden, Arkansas
Colt Brennan, Hawaii
Chase Daniel, Missouri
2008
Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
Colt McCoy, Texas
Tim Tebow, Florida
2009
Mark Ingram, Alabama
Toby Gerhart, Stanford
Colt McCoy, Texas
Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
Tim Tebow, Florida
2010
Cam Newton, Auburn
Andrew Luck, Stanford
LaMichael James, Oregon
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2011
Robert Griffin III
Andrew Luck, Stanford
Trent Richardson, Alabama
Montee Ball, Wisconsin
Tyrann Mathieu, LSU
2012
Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M
Manti Te’o, Notre Dame
Collin Klein, Kansas State
2013
Jameis Winston, Florida State
AJ McCarron, Alabama
Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois
Andre Williams, Boston College
Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M
Tre Mason, Auburn
2014
Marcus Mariota, Oregon
Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin
Amari Cooper, Alabama
2015
Derrick Henry, Alabama
Christian McCaffrey, Stanford
Deshaun Watson, Clemson
2016
Lamar Jackson, Louisville
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
Jabrill Peppers, Michigan
Deshaun Watson, Clemson
Dede Westbrook, Oklahoma
2017
Lamar Jackson, Louisville
Bryce Love, Stanford
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
2018
Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State
Kyler Murray, Oklahoma
Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
2019
Joe Burrow, LSU
Justin Fields, Ohio State
Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma
Chase Young, Ohio State
* – invited but did not attend ceremony.
