Lucas Boland-Imagn Images
The Heisman Trophy is presented to the best college football player in the country each year, and many of the guys who’ve won it have also been on one of the best teams in the country. That includes a number of honorees who secured the prize before getting another one in the form of a national championship.
These are the college football players who have won the Heisman Trophy and a national championship in the same year
The Heisman Trophy is the biggest individual honor a college football player can receive, but most people who’ve earned it would probably tell you they’d happily trade it in for a national championship.
The majority of Heisman winners were never able to earn a title, but there are a significant number who were able to experience both of those achievements in the same season.
DeVonta Smith—Alabama (2020)
Columbus Dispatch-Imagn Images
DeVonta Smith capped off his time at Alabama with a monster season, as he led the country with 1,856 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns.
He also earned his second title as a member of the Crimson Tide (he was the man who caught Tua Tagovailoa’s game-winning touchdown pass in overtime in 2018), snagging 12 passes for 215 yards and scoring three touchdowns in just three quarters as his team coasted to a 52-24 victory over Ohio State in the national championship game.
Joe Burrow—LSU (2019)
Jason Getz-Imagn Images
Joe Burrow earned the Heisman Trophy with the biggest margin in history, as he received close to 90% of the first-place votes during a season where he threw for 5,671 yards and set an NCAA record with 60 passing touchdowns (which has since been broken by Bailey Zappe).
He was a major reason LSU earned the right to face off against Clemson in the national championship, and he was also a major reason the Tigers won it when you consider he had 463 passing yards, five touchdowns in the air, and another on the ground in the 42-25 victory.
Derrick Henry—Alabama (2015)
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Derrick Henry is the second of three Alabama players on this list, and he joined it during a breakout season where he had 2,219 rushing yards and punched he ball into the end zone 28 times.
The running back was also a key factor in the national championship game, as he ran for 158 yards and had three rushing touchdowns in his team’s 45-40 win over Clemson.
Jameis Winston—Florida State (2013)
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Jameis Winston kicked off his college career with a bang when he debuted as a freshman with Florida State in 2013. He ended with 4,057 passing yards and 40 touchdowns while leading the country in both of those categories, and he won the Heisman Trophy in convincing fashion.
The quarterback’s play was instrumental in FSU earning the right to face off against Auburn for a national championship, and he threw for 235 yards and had two passing touchdowns while leading the Seminoles to a 34-31 win over the Tigers.
Cam Newton—Auburn (2010)
Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images
Speaking of Auburn…
The Tigers took a chance on Cam Newton after he honed his skills with a junior college program after riding the bench for a couple of seasons at Florida, and that decision paid off in a big way.
The dual-threat QB had 2,854 passing yards and 1,473 rushing yards during a season where he threw 30 touchdowns and took care of business on the ground 20 times. Auburn ended up facing off against Oregon for a title, and Newton had 262 passing yards, added another 65 on the rushing front, and threw two touchdowns in the 22-19 win.
Mark Ingram—Alabama (2009)
John David Mercer-Imagn Images
We’ve got our final appearance from a member of the Crimson Tide courtesy of Mark Ingram, who beat Toby Gerhart by just 28 votes to win the Heisman Trophy by the narrowest margin in history during a season where he had 1,658 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns (he also had 334 receiving yards and caught three TDs).
Ingram also had 116 yards and two rushing TDs when Alabama got a 37-21 win over Texas to win the first of the six titles Nick Saban would rack up during his time in Tuscaloosa.
Matt Leinart—USC (2004)
Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images
Matt Leinart is the final player on this list to earn a title during college football’s Undisputed National Champions Era, and he did so with USC during a season where he threw for 3,322 yards and tossed 33 touchdowns.
He capped off the campaign by putting on an absolute clinic against Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, as he passed for 332 yards and had five touchdowns as the Trojans got a title in a 55-19 rout.
Charles Woodson—Michigan (1997)
RVR Photos-Imagn Images
Charles Woodson is the only player to win the Heisman Trophy based primarily on his impact on defense. The cornerback had seven interceptions and 43 tackles in 1997, and the man who also ended up with 231 receiving yards and had the potential to cause problems on punt returns beat out Peyton Manning for the prize.
Michigan went 12-0 that season, and they shared the national championship with Nebraska.
Danny Wuerffel—Florida (1996)
RVR Photos-Imagn Images
Danny Wuerffel led Florida to the Bowl Alliance national championship game as a junior, but the Gators came up short against Nebraska.
The QB returned with a vengeance the following year, and he won the Heisman on the back of his 3,625 passing yards and 39 touchdowns. Florida ended up facing off against Florida State for a national championship, and Wuerffel had 306 yards in the air and threw three touchdowns as his team won the civil war by the score of 52-20.
Charlie Ward—Florida State (1993)
RVR Photos-Imagn Images
Charlie Ward is one of the most fascinating Heisman Trophy winners of all time, as he ended up spending over a decade in the NBA after being named the best football player in the country.
Ward was a star on the hardwood and the gridiron during his time at Florida State, and the speedy QB won the Heisman in his final season with the Seminoles after accruing 3,032 passing yards and 339 rushing yards while throwing 27 touchdowns and rushing for four more.
FSU ended up as the consensus national champion after going 12-1, but Ward hung up his cleats and turned his attention to an NBA career that spanned 11 seasons after the Knicks drafted him in the first round.
Tony Dorsett—Pitt
Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images
Tony Dorsett emerged as a force to be reckoned with at Pitt as a freshman, and he capped off his illustrious career by winning the Heisman Trophy as a senior after rushing for 1,948 yards and scoring 21 touchdowns on the ground.
He helped the Panthers go 12-0 that year, and that was good enough to win a national championship.
The rest of the guys on this list are fairly ancient history and played during a time when there were no consensus champions, so I’m going to simply list them and let you do your own research if you please.