By Allan Brown
Around this time each year, the hopes and dreams of a select few college football players come to fruition.
They are the chosen few who are selected as finalists for College Football's highest honor, the Heisman Trophy.
And while winning that award is certainly no guarantee of future success in the NFL, the thrill of standing on that stage in New York City - where the award is handed out annually - is certainly the highlight of the chosen one's collegiate football career.
However, for every former winner like Paul Hornung, Roger Staubach or Marcus Allen, there's a Matt Leinart, Troy Smith or Tim Tebow who doesn't quite make it big in the much-more competitive NFL.
Those stories are for another day, another column.
Let's concentrate, instead, on the varied accomplishments of recent titleholders, who are currently at the top of their game, and who prove the worth an award such as the Heisman carries onto the professional football field.
Some in the media say winning the Heisman is a curse. And many of the 90s and early 2000 winners - think Leinart, Chris Weinke, Danny Wuerffel and Gino Torretta - might make one think that the recipient is, well, indeed, cursed.
The following players, however, prove that the award is anything but cursed.
Let's take Cam Newton for example. He is having the season of his career, leading the Carolina Panthers to a, thus far, perfect season, while posting legitimate League MVP numbers along the way.
A two-time Pro Bowler, Newton holds the record for most rushing touchdowns in a single season with 14 and has continuously ranked in the top 100 of sports writers lists of top NFL players four years running.
Then there is Carson Palmer, who is the only quarterback to throw for more than 4,000 yards for three different teams. His Arizona Cardinals are poised to challenge Newton's Panthers for top NFC honors this season. What is particularly impressive with Palmer is that he has overcome multiple injuries over the past 13 years that could have ended a lesser player's career.
Injuries have also plagued the Rams' Sam Bradford, but the quarterback, who has the all-time record for consecutive passes without an interception for a rookie, trails on. The same could be said for Cleveland's Johnny Manziel, who while he has struggled early in his first two years in the NFL, is certainly poised to prove his worth now that he has been named the starter for the Browns.
Neither has reached the highest plateau of their career and time will ultimately tell whether those two former Heisman winners can excel to the levels of other former winners like Newton or Palmer. Both, however, definitely possess that 'never give up' mantra on the field that served both of them well in their collegiate careers. And of note, Johnny Football, in particular, has faced many personal adversities off the field, but has continued to preserve. That makes me believe that he will overcome that phantom Heisman curse and become a major player in the league in the years to come.
The verdict is still out, as well, on the two most recent Heisman winners, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. Both, however, have shown great promise in their rookie NFL seasons.
Yes, both have made typical rookie mistakes and both play for teams that are rebuilding and may take years to contend. However, both have posted commendable numbers to date. And while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have definitely had huge problems, Famous Jameis' play isn't one of them. His leadership has kept the Bucs competitive and he has no control over an abysmal defense that has let him down when he has put the team, one, two and even three touchdowns ahead in a game. The Titans, who have already had a head coaching change this season, may take significantly longer to be a legitimate contender once more, yet Mariota's play, thus far, gives the Titan faithful hope that they have found their franchise quarterback.
As for the 2011 winner, Robert Griffin III, his career may be on the ropes, yet I firmly contend that he would be on this list of Heisman booms had it not been for a torn LCL and ACL suffered in a 2013 playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks. His numbers prior to that injury - including a record rookie passer rating - certainly suggest that he was headed for NFL greatness in the quarterback position. The refusal to remove Griffin from that playoff game by then Washington head coach Mike Shanahan - has in my opinion - possibly ended Griffin's career and certainly has contributed to his ineffectiveness in the QB position since he returned from his injury two-plus years ago.
Hopefully, Griffin can rebound and may be better served by being traded to another team. However, two other former winners need no such move. Both are posting respectable numbers for their respective squads.
Running backs Reggie Bush and Mark Ingram both continue to toil away and while Bush has had an up and down career, he does have a Super Bowl ring with the New Orleans Saints and is a vital cog in a totally rebuilt San Francisco 49ers offense that has yet to gel. Time will tell if he can recover from a torn ACL suffered in a game earlier this month that, effectively ended his 2015 season. While he has not had a booming NFL career to date - only one 1,000 yard season - Bush can hardly be considered a bust, either, as he continues to find work in the NFL.
On the other side of the country, Ingram continues to improve as a member of the Saints. A Pro Bowler, he had his best season - posting 1,109 yards from scrimmage - last year - and has solid numbers this year, especially if you own him in your Fantasy Football League. Ingram's not yet reached the peak of his career and - putting aside a disappointing 2013 season - he continues to improve.
Former Heisman Trophy winners like Bradford, Manziel and the freshman class of this season have yet to prove their worth. However, the varied accomplishments of many of their recent predecessors indicates that if their was, indeed, a Heisman curse, it may well have been eradicated.
Of course, like anything in the wacky, unpredictable world of professional sports, the ultimate verdict is definitely still Under Review.
No comments:
Post a Comment