Here’s Every Black Heisman Trophy Winner In NCAA History
Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
UPDATED: 7 a.m. ET, Dec. 15, 2024
Have you ever wondered how many Black Heisman trophy winners there are? Well, the NewsOne Team searched the web and couldn’t find a list. So we made one for you!
Travis Hunter, of the University of Colorado, extended the streak of Black players winning college football’s top honor when he was presented with the annual Heisman Trophy award during a ceremony on Saturday in New York City.
Travis Hunter, University of Colorado cornerback/wide receiver, poses during the Heisman Trophy press conference at the Marriott Marquis on December 14, 2024, in New York City. | Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
The celebrated “two-way” player had already been recognized as college football’s best defensive player and best wide receiver in 2024, the first time in history that any player has ever collected both awards. Hunter was also named the Walter Camp Player of the Year, an award that is voted on by every Football Bowl Subdivision head coach and sports information director. Not to be outdone, Hunter was also named the winner of the Associated Press National College Football Player of the Year award.
Then, Hunter was named as a Heisman finalist, and betting odds immediately — and accurately — predicted he was a runaway favorite to win that award too.
In doing so, Hunter became the fifth straight Black player and 39th overall to win the coveted Heisman award.
Cornerback Travis Hunter #12 of the Colorado Buffaloes hits the Heisman pose after making an interception against the UCF Knights at FBC Mortgage Stadium on September 28, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. | Source: Don Juan Moore / Getty
Black Heisman winners by the numbers
Hunter’s win came one year after Jayden Daniels was awarded the coveted Heisman Trophy.
Daniels became the second LSU player in four years and the third-ever LSU player to win the Heisman Trophy. Daniels was also the fifth transfer player in NCAA history to win the Heisman.
Jayden Daniels poses with the Heisman Trophy after winning it at the New York Marriott Marquis on December 9, 2023, in New York City. | Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
Not for nothing, Daniels was also the fourth consecutive Black player to win the Heisman.
Eight Heisman trophies went to Black players in the 1980s alone.
Twenty-two of all Heisman winners were running backs.
After 2024’s award ceremony, four Heisman winners have been wide receivers.
There has also been one defensive back who’s won a Heisman.
USC has produced the most Black Heisman Trophy winners with seven. In 2022, quarterback Caleb Williams broke the streak of the Trojans’ running backs who have won.
Keep reading to find a full chronological list of Black players who have taken home college football’s highest honor.
1961: Ernie Davis, Running Back
Syracuse University
The first African American Heisman Trophy winner in 1961, Davis paved the way for a generation of black Heisman hopefuls to come. He was selected as the first overall draft pick in the 1962 NFL draft, the first African American to be so honored. Tragically, he was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia in the summer of 1962 and died in May of 1963 at age 23. Davis never played a down of NFL football.
1965: Mike Garrett, Running Back
USC
Garrett won the Heisman in 1965 as a tailback with USC. From 1993-2010, he was USC’s athletic director.
1968: O.J. Simpson, Running Back
USC
“The Juice,” as he was so affectionately nicknamed, was perhaps the first celebrity African American Heisman winner. He won the award in 1968 after his senior year at USC. O.J. went on to have a Hall Of Fame career in the NFL and became one of the most recognized and marketable professional athletes of his era.
1972: Johnny Rodgers, Wingback/Running back
Nebraska
Rodgers won the Heisman back in 1972 at the University of Nebraska. He played wingback, which is a player on the field who can line up as a receiver or take hand-offs as a running back. He was convicted of grand larceny in 1971 for robbing a gas station. Rodgers is the only Heisman winner to have been convicted of a felony before receiving the award.
1974 and 1975: Archie Griffin, Running Back
Ohio State
Griffin was the first player ever to start in four Rose Bowls and is college football’s only two-time Heisman Trophy winner. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1976 N.F.L. draft with the 24th overall pick but did not duplicate his college success at the next level.
1976: Tony Dorsett, Running Back
Pittsburgh
Dorsett became an All-American running back during his freshman year at the University of Pittsburgh. He capped off his stellar college career with an N.C.A.A. Championship and Heisman Trophy in 1976. Dorsett went on to have an extraordinary career with the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. He was enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame in 1994.
1977: Earl Campbell, Running Back
Texas
The University of Texas star won the Heisman Trophy in 1977 and went on to be considered one of the most bruising running backs in the history of the NFL He was enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame in 1991.
1978: Billy Sims, Running Back
Oklahoma
A running back at Oklahoma, Sims won the award in 1978.
1979: Charles White, Running Back
USC
Another USC running back great, White won the Heisman back in 1979.
1980: George Rogers, Running Back
South Carolina
Rogers won the Heisman in 1980 as a star running back for the South Carolina Gamecocks.
1981: Marcus Allen, Running Back
USC
Another one of those great USC running backs who went on to the NFL to have a Hall of Fame career.
1982: Herschel Walker, Running Back
Georgia
The former running back at the University of Georgia won the Heisman in 1982. He went on to play for several NFL teams to rack up 8,225 rushing yards, 4,859 receiving yards, and 5,084 kickoff-return yards in 12 seasons. He also has 84 touchdowns: 61 rushing, 21 receiving and two kickoff returns for touchdowns.
1983: Mike Rozier, Running Back
Nebraska
A running back at Nebraska, Rozier won the Heisman in 1983.
1985: Bo Jackson, Running Back
Auburn
One of the greatest athletes ever, Jackson won the Heisman in 1985. His career was cut short due to injuries. But even during his short N.F.L. career, Jackson showed all of the indicators that he was ready for greatness. He played professional baseball when he wasn’t running over linebackers.
1987: Tim Brown, Wide Receiver
Notre Dame
Tim Brown was the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy. The Notre Dame standout electrified almost every game he played in and took his skills to the next level where he spent 16 years building a Hall of Fame NFL career.
1988: Barry Sanders, Running Back
Oklahoma State
There are few college Heisman Trophy winners who can say their professional careers were superior to their college days. Barry Sanders is one of the few who can. The ease with which Sanders juked his opponents at the college level was eye-dropping enough. But when he joined the Detroit Lions, he seemed to get even more freakishly insane with his angle-breaking moves. Check out the video below if you’re feeling nostalgic for old number 20.
1989: Andre Ware, Quarterback
Houston
Ware was the first black quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy in 1989. As a junior at the University of Houston, he threw for 4,699 yards, 44 touchdowns, and set 26 NCAA records. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions but washed out at the professional level.
1991: Desmond Howard, Wide Receiver
Michigan
Howard, known for the iconic Heisman pose in the endzone during the 1991 Michigan-Ohio State game, brought a dignity and class to the award that sets the standard that every Heisman alum should strive for. Though he did not have a Hall Of Fame career in the NFL, he did have his moments. He led the NFL in punt returns, punt return yards, punt return average and touchdowns during the 1996 season.
1993: Charlie Ward, Quarterback
Florida State
The former Florida State Seminole had a flair about him that had his fans praying he’d take his quarterbacking skills to the next level. He opted for a basketball career instead. His NBA career was a successful one.
1994: Rashaan Salaam, Running Back
Colorado
Saleem enjoyed one of the best college careers as a running back ever rushing for more than 2,000 years at the University of Colorado and winning the Heisman Trophy in 1994. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1995 and ran for 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns during his rookie campaign. But injuries ended his career early and he never met up to the high expectations placed upon him.
1995: Eddie George, Running Back
Ohio State
A Heisman Trophy winner in 1995 at Ohio State University, George went on to have an excellent professional career with the Tennessee Titans before injuries ended it early. His numbers –10,441 rushing yards, 268 receptions, 2,227 receiving yards, and 78 touchdowns (68 rushing and ten receiving) — are arguably Hall of Fame-worthy.
1997: Charles Woodson, Defensive Back
Michigan
The only defensive player to win the Heisman, the Michigan Wolverine showed that defensive prowess is as critical to team success as great quarterbacking. And Woodson didn’t disappoint us when he got to the NFL, either. He is still a shutdown cornerback who should make the Hall of Fame soon after he hangs up his jersey in Green Bay.
1998: Ricky Williams, Running Back
Texas
The University of Texas star is perhaps better known for his wedding dress cover on Sports Illustrated than for his prowess on the football field. His on-again, off-again football career was dogged by drug use and mental health issues.
1999: Ron Dayne, Running Back
Wisconsin
The former Badger holds the N.C.A.A. record for career rushing yards. He enjoyed a successful, but not star-studded NFL career.
2005: Reggie Bush, Running Back
USC
Easily the most electrifying running back of the past ten years, the USC running back ripped apart the best defenses in college football. The N.C.A.A. wiped Bush’s name from the record books for receiving improper benefits and favors while in college in a controversy that lasted for nearly two decades. But on April 24, 2024, Bush had his 2005 trophy reinstated.
“Personally, I’m thrilled to reunite with my fellow Heisman winners and be a part of the storied legacy of the Heisman Trophy, and I’m honored to return to the Heisman family,” Bush said in a statement to ESPN at the time.
2006: Troy Smith, Quarterback
Ohio State
One of the few black quarterbacks to win the award, Smith led the Buckeyes to the N.C.A.A. National Championship game in 2006. But he was another college star who could not duplicate his success at the professional level. He played with the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League.
2009: Mark Ingram, Running Back
Alabama
Ingram, who won the Heisman as a sophomore running back in 2009, set the Crimson Tide’s single-season rushing record with 1,658 yards and was voted to the AP All-America first-team. He helped Alabama win the 2010 BCS National Championship Game. He played with the New Orleans Saints.
2010: Cam Newton, Quarterback
Auburn
He was the guy many in the mainstream media wanted to hate. The Heisman everyone thought would surely bust as soon as he pulled an N.F.L. jersey over his shoulder pads. Well, the quarterback ended up playing 11 quality seasons in the NFL before retiring in 2022.
2011: Robert Griffin III, Quarterback
Baylor
The quarterback from Baylor won the Heisman Trophy on December 10th, 2011, becoming the school’s first winner ever.
2013: Jamies Winston, Quarterback
Florida State University
The then-19-year-old redshirt freshman quarterback became the youngest player and first player from the ACC in 13 years to win the coveted Heisman Trophy.
2015: Derrick Henry, running back
University of Alabama
Derrick Henry set the SEC single-season rushing record and tied the conference mark for rushing touchdowns with 23 on his way to winning Alabama’s second Heisman Trophy award.
2016: Lamar Jackson, Quarterback
University of Louisville
Jackson made history when he became the youngest person ever to receive the Heisman Trophy. The 19-year-old college football player received the 82nd award for an outstanding sophomore season with the Cardinals. Jackson had 3,390 passing yards, scored 30 touchdowns and had 9 interceptions. He led the team to a 9-3 record and received 526 first-place votes for the award.
2018: Kyler Murray, Quarterback
University of Oklahoma
Murray threw for 4,053 yards with 40 touchdowns and just seven interceptions while leading the Sooners to a 12-1 record and a berth in the College Football Playoff.
2020: DeVonta Smith, Running Back
University of Alabama
Smith, a senior, had a monster year with 1,511 receiving yards and 17 touchdown catches, even though he was not the team’s focal point until mid-season.
2021: Bryce Young, Quarterback
University of Alabama
Experts said it was a toss-up between Young and the three other players up for the 2021 Heisman: Michigan defensive lineman and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Aidan Hutchinson; Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett; and Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud. That is, up until the last two games that Young showed and showed out for, including an instant-classic come-from-behind win against Auburn University and a rout of the University of Georgia Bulldogs one week later.
2022: Caleb Williams, Quarterback
USC
He passed for 4.075 yards, 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions, setting a USC record for total offense with 4.447 yards. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound sophomore also ran for 10 touchdowns, drawing comparisons to Chiefs’ star Patrick Mahomes for his ability to improvise and deliver perfect passes from a variety of arm angles.
Williams finished with a kick, accounting for seven touchdowns in Top-25 victories against UCLA and Notre Dame that put USC in playoff position.
2023: Jayden Daniels, Quarterback
LSU
The fifth-year player, who transferred from Arizona State to LSU in 2022, received 503 first-place votes and 2,029 points after accounting for 50 touchdowns and nearly 5,000 total yards in just 12 regular-season games.
“This is a dream come true,” Daniels started his acceptance speech.
2024: Travis Hunter, safety and wide receiver
Colorado
Showcasing his blazing speed and explosive playmaking, Hunter rarely came off the field this year — making him an every-down throwback to generations gone by and the first full-time, true two-way star in decades.
On offense, he had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns, plus a rushing score. On defense, he made four interceptions, 32 tackles, broke up 11 passes and forced a critical fumble that secured an overtime victory against Baylor.
With the Buffaloes winning games and challenging for a Big 12 title, he soared from a long-shot underdog in Heisman futures last summer to a heavy betting favorite this week.
Source: NewsOne