College Football: 10 greatest players to never win the Heisman Trophy

MADISON, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 09: Jonathan Taylor #23 of the Wisconsin Badgers runs with the football in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Camp Randall Stadium on November 09, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 09: Jonathan Taylor #23 of the Wisconsin Badgers runs with the football in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Camp Randall Stadium on November 09, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /
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PITTSBURGH, PA – OCTOBER 11: Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald #1 of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers looks on from the sideline during a college football game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Heinz Field on October 11, 2003 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Notre Dame defeated the Pitt Panthers 20-14. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – OCTOBER 11: Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald #1 of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers looks on from the sideline during a college football game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Heinz Field on October 11, 2003 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Notre Dame defeated the Pitt Panthers 20-14. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

Larry Fitzgerald had the highest finish for a wide receiver since Desmond Howard won the award in 1991.

Wide receivers have won the Heisman Trophy the least amount of times with three, followed by two tight ends winning the award. The three receivers had something in common that Fitzgerald did not account for: special teams. Je was exclusively a wide receiver and did not return kicks or punts during his time at Pitt.

Not only that, but he also did not play on a team that contended for a national title.

The second reason is the argument that wide receivers will not be dominant without a quarterback to throw them the football. There is a modicum of merit to that argument, but without research, I would not have known who the starting quarterback for the Pitt Panthers was when Fitzgerald was the starting wide receiver.

The truth is, Fitzgerald was the most dominant offensive player in college football in 2003. He played on a team with no running game and the second-leading receiver had almost 50 fewer receptions than him. He was the Panthers’ only option and every opponent knew it. They just could not stop him.