Heisman Trophy: Ranking the last 15 Heisman winners
By Gabe Encinas
2009 Heisman Stats: 271 carries, 1,658 yards, 17 touchdowns
Mark Ingram narrowly edged Stanford’s Toby Gerhart for the Heisman in 2009 after leading his Crimson Tide to a perfect 14-0 record, taking down the Texas Longhorns in the National Championship.
Ingram was the first Heisman winner in program history and when he was healthy, you could count him picking up picking up the tough yards on third-and-two and being able to bust it loose for a 40-yard touchdown.
With Greg McElroy at quarterback, Ingram was asked to do a lot to take the pressure off. And when you have a 5’9″ 215-pound back running the show on the offense, you’re going to have a happy quarterback.
This was a great Alabama team, and probably some of Nick Saban’s finest work at Alabama. But in 2009, this Heisman could have been more of a team success award, as Gerhart ran for 2,000 yards and we had the best chance since Charles Woodson to see a defender win with Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh finishing fourth in the voting.
Next: 10. Robert Griffin III