The 9 Biggest Snubs In Heisman Trophy History

All signs point to either Travis Hunter or Ashton Jeanty securing the Heisman Trophy when the coveted award is handed out midway through December, and voters will have a very difficult decision to make when it comes to choosing between two incredibly worthy candidates.

The Heisman Trophy is officially reserved for the “outstanding football player in the United States whose performance epitomizes great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work,” a set of criteria that’s open to interpretation when it comes to naming the MVP of each college football season.

As is the case with Most Valuable Player awards in other sports, players at certain positions tend to have an edge, and guys who belong to teams with better records than comparatively mediocre programs tend to benefit from being surrounded by a higher overall collection of talent.

That means a number of players who probably should have won the Heisman in hindsight were ultimately overlooked, and there aren’t any snubs that stand out more than these.

Vince Young (2005)

Reggie Bush undoubtedly dazzled during his final season at USC while racking up 1,740 yards and averaging 8.7 per carry while scoring 16 touchdowns.

Vince Young ultimately came in second after a stellar campaign where the dual-threat QB passed for 3,036 yards and threw 26 TDs while rushing for 1,050 yards and punching it in on his own 12 times.

Young led an 11-0 Texas team to the national championship game against Bush’s undefeated Trojans in the legendary Rose Bowl where he threw for 267 yards and ran for 200 while scoring on his own three times —including his iconic scramble for the game-winning TD in the final minute of the fourth quarter.

The Heisman had already been handed out to Bush at that point, but Young retroactively proved he really deserved it in that showdown.

Adrian Peterson (2004)

No true freshman has ever won the Heisman (Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston secured it after redshirting), but Adrian Peterson probably should have made history in 2004.

USC QB Matt Leinart ultimately topped Peterson in the wake of a season where he recorded 3,322 yards in the air and tossed 33 touchdowns while throwing just six interceptions.

However, Peterson played an instrumental role in helping Oklahoma punch its ticket to the national championship against Leinart’s Trojans during his first year with the Sooners with 1,925 yards (5.7 per carry) and 15 touchdowns.

Peterson undoubtedly fell victim to a combination of pro-QB and anti-freshman bias, and while Leinart was certainly no slouch, A.D. probably deserved it more.

Peyton Manning (1997)

Michigan’s Charles Woodson deserves a ton of credit for winning the Heisman as a CB, as he’s currently the only person at that position to win it (Travis Hunter could technically become the second, although his two-way play obviously sets him apart), and the fact that the Wolverines split the national championship with Nebraska certainly didn’t hurt his case.

Peyton Manning, on the other hand, came in second place after capping off his time with Tennessee by leading the Volunteers to an 11-2 record on the back of  3,819 yards and 36 TDs.

That was good enough to win the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien Awards, but one of the best QBs in football history was never able to win a Heisman.

Herschel Walker (1980)

Ohio State RB Archie Griffin is the only player in history to win the Heisman multiple times, but Herschel Walker probably should have joined him on that list and become the first true freshman to win it based on what he achieved during his first season at Georgia.

Based on the stats, it’s easy to argue South Carolina RB George Rogers did deserve the win he secured with 1,781 yards (6 per carry) and 14 TDs. Walker, on the other hand, had 1,616 yards (5.9 per carry) and 15 TDs.

However, the numbers don’t tell the entire story, as Walker was essentially the centerpiece of a Bulldogs offense that relied on his legs to secure a national championship.

He’d end up getting a Heisman after another standout campaign in 1982, but he deserved more than that.

O.J. Simpson (1967)

As is the case with Walker, O.J. Simpson probably should have won multiple Heismans during his time at USC, and he would have become the first person in history to do so if he’d gotten the credit he deserved during his first year with the Trojans.

The 1,415 yards the ultimately notorious RB racked up while averaging 5.3 per carry was good for most in the county by more than 140, and he finished with 11 TDs while helping USC secure a national championship.

The Heisman ultimately went to UCLA QB Gary Beben, who only threw for 1,359 yards and had 8 TDs to his 7 interceptions. He did rush for 227 yards while scoring on his own 11 times, but he probably didn’t deserve the Heisman over a man who’d end up winning it the following year.

Marshall Faulk (1992)

There’s zero doubt Marshall Faulk took a hit by playing for San Diego State as opposed to a more prominent program, and he was ultimately bested by Gino Torretta, the Miami QB who led the Hurricanes to an 11-1 record with 3,060 yards and 19 TDs.

The Aztecs didn’t help his cause by going 5-5-1, but the sophomore RB was still able to finish in second after turning plenty of heads by leading the country in rushing yards with 1,630 yards (6.2 per carry) and scoring 15 TDs.

Torretta is largely forgotten, but the same can’t be said for Faulk thanks to what he did during a career that led to him being enshrined in the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Ndamukong Suh (2009)

This is an interesting case when you consider there were four very worthy candidates for the Heisman Trophy in 2009 in a race where Alabama RB Mark Ingram beat out Stanford RB Toby Gerhart, Texas QB Colt McCoy, and Nebraska DL Ndamukong Suh.

That race highlighted the uphill battle players who aren’t a quarterback or running back face when it comes to winning the Heisman, as there’s a reason Suh was named AP Player of the Year after recording 12.5 sacks, 52 total tackles (including 20.5 for a loss) and snagging an interception.

Tommie Frazier (1995)

Nebraska was an absolute force to be reckoned with in the mid-1990s, and QB Tommie Frazier is a major reason the Cornhuskers squad that won it all in 1995 is widely considered one of the best in the history of college football.

Ohio State RB Eddie George was admittedly a beast during the 1995 season, as he recorded 1,826 yards (6 per carry) and 23 TDs.

However, you could argue he wasn’t even the best running back in the country that year when you consider he trailed three guys when it came to overall yards (including San Diego State’s George Jones, who had the same number of touchdowns).

Frazier, on the other hand, capped off his time at Nebraska by helping the team defend its title with 1,362 passing yards, 17 TDs, and just 4 interceptions as part of an option scheme that helped him run for 604 yards and score another 14 TDs.

I normally think the Heisman should be largely based on individual performance as opposed to the team’s, but if you’re taking both of those factors into consideration, Frazier got absolutely robbed.

Larry Fitzgerald (2003)

Tim Brown and DeVonta Smith are the only pure wide receivers to win the Heisman, but it’s pretty easy to argue Larry Fitzgerald deserves to be the third based on what transpired during his final season at Pitt.

Oklahoma QB Jaxson White admittedly had a pretty monster season with the Sooners with 3,846 passing yards and 40 TDs, which was good enough to take home the Heisman.

However, Fitzgerald gave him a run for his money by leading the country in overall receiving yards and touchdowns with 1,672 and 22, respectively.

The fact that the Panthers finished at 8-5 likely put him at a disadvantage against a QB on a 12-1 Sooners squad, but Fitzgerald got the last laugh after playing 17 seasons in the NFL.