How well do you know your Heisman history? Keep track of answers. Correct answers are listed at the bottom.
1. The Heisman Trophy is named for John Heisman (1869-1936), a former player and coach who is regarded as a leading pioneer in the sport of football. Among his accomplishments, Heisman is credited with legalizing _______.
A. The halfback option
B. The lateral pass
C. The forward pass
2. Who was the very first winner of the Heisman Trophy?
A. Bronko Nagurski
B. Jay Berwanger
C. Paul Hornung
3. Jim Plunkett won the Heisman in 1970. Which QB placed second? (Hint: The two players once went head-to-head in the Super Bowl).
A. Doug Williams
B. Joe Theismann
C. Ron Jaworski
4. Three members of the Manning family were Heisman finalists. Which of the three placed highest in the voting?
A. Archie Manning
B. Peyton Manning
C. Eli Manning
5. Four members of the vaunted 1983 NFL Draft QB class (John Elway, Dan Marino, Tony Eason and Todd Blackledge) finished in the Top 10 in the 1982 Heisman voting. Name the running back that won the award that year.
A. Marcus Allen
B. Eric Dickerson
C. Herschel Walker
6. Who is the only Heisman Trophy winner to play in the NBA?
A. Desmond Howard
B. Charlie Ward
C. Troy Smith
7. Archie Griffin is the only player to have won the Heisman Trophy twice (1974 and 1975). What NFL team did Griffin play for?
A. Cincinnati Bengals
B. Houston Oilers
C. New Orleans Saints
8. In 2009, Stanford’s Tony Gerhart finished in second place in the closest Heisman voting margin in the award’s history. Who won the award that year?
A. Mark Ingram
B. Cam Newton
C. Sam Bradford
9. What Heisman winner had the nickname, “The Tyler Rose”?
A. Earl Campbell
B. George Rogers
C. Billy Sims
10. The Naval Academy had two Heisman winners within a span of four years. Halfback Joe Bellino won the award in 1960. Name the Midshipman who received the honor in 1963.
A. Napoleon McCallum
B. Dick Scott
C. Roger Staubach
11. Two schools are tied for having the most Heisman winners (7). Name them.
A. USC and Miami
B. Ohio State and Notre Dame
C. Michigan and Alabama
12. Name the first African-American player to win the Heisman.
A. Jim Brown
B. Ernie Davis
C. Bob Hayes
13. This 1966 Heisman winner later coached a future Heisman winner. Name him.
A. Steve Spurrier
B. Paul “Bear” Bryant
C. Jack Elway
14. Who was the first sophomore to win the Heisman?
A. Johnny Manziel
B. Lamar Jackson
C. Tim Tebow
15. Name the former Heisman Trophy winner that recently founded “Real Wellness,” a brand of cannabis-based products.
A. Vinnie Testaverde
B. Ricky Williams
C. Andre Ware
ANSWERS:
1. C. John Heisman was instrumental in introducing the forward pass to the game of football. He lobbied the football rules committee to make the change and the forward pass was legalized in 1906.
2. B. The first Heisman Trophy was awarded to Jay Berwanger.
3. B. Joe Theismann was the runner-up to Plunkett in 1970. The two QBs hooked up in Super Bowl XVIII, when Plunkett lead the Oakland Raiders over Theismann’s Washington Redskins.
4. B. Peyton Manning placed second in the Heisman voting in 1997. Dad Archie (1970) and younger brother Eli (2003) both finished third in voting.
5. C. Running Back Herschel Walker handily won the 1982 Heisman. Elway finished second in the voting.
6. B. QB Charlie Ward led Notre Dame to the national championship and garnered the 1993 Heisman Trophy. Despite that, he was not selected in the NFL. Instead, he played in the NBA and became the starting point guard for the New York Knicks.
7. A. Griffin played seven seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.
8. A. Gerhart finished second to Alabama RB Mark Ingram, who won the voting by a scant 28 points.
9. A. Earl Campbell carried the nickname, “The Tyler Rose.”
10. C. Roger Staubach won the award in 1963.
11. B. Ohio State and Notre Dame.
12. B. Ernie Davis was the first African-American to win the award (1961). Tragically, although he was the No. 1 pick in the following year’s NFL Draft, Davis was diagnosed with leukemia and died without ever playing a professional game.
13. A. Steve Spurrier won the Heisman in 1966. Thirty years later, he was the head coach at Florida when Gator QB Danny Wuerffel won the award.
14. C. In 2007, Florida’s Tim Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman. Hawaii’s Colt Brennan was a finalist for the award and finished third in the voting.
15. B. Former Texas RB and 1998 Heisman winner Ricky Williams founded Real Wellness in March of this year.
