College football: Ranking every Heisman Trophy winner
By Brad Weiss
56. Ranking every Heisman Trophy Winner: Billy Cannon, LSU Tigers football
The LSU Football program is rich in history and has long been one of the top teams in the toughest conference in the country, the SEC. Back in the late 1950s, the LSU Tigers had a running back that was such a rare blend of size and speed. He tormented teams on both sides of the ball throughout his three varsity seasons.
After breaking out as a sophomore, starring really as more of a defensive player, head coach Paul Dietzel decided it was time to give Billy Cannon the ball. The 6-foot-1, 210 pound Cannon looked like he was shot out of one, possessing incredible speed, and the ability to run over, or around the defense. His prowess toting the football helped LSU to an undefeated season and national title in 1958.
The following season, the Tigers were expected to repeat as champions as they returned plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. Unfortunately, that was not the case, but for Cannon, he took home the sport’s greatest individual honor, the Heisman Trophy.
Cannon may have only scored six touchdowns his final season on campus, but he had his Heisman moment on Halloween night against the Ole Miss Rebels. With his team down 3-0, Cannon returned a punt 89 yards for the Tigers only score, as they went on to win 7-3.
The two-time All-American and SEC Player of the Year was able to easily beat Richie Lucas from Penn State for the Heisman Trophy, becoming only the second SEC player to take home the award after Frank Sinkwich did it in 1941.
55. Ranking every Heisman Trophy Winner: Rashaan Salaam, Colorado Buffaloes football
During the 1994 college football season, Colorado Buffaloes star running back Rashaan Salaam was the best player in the game. A rare blend of speed and power, Salaam was able to do so many wonderful things with a football in his hands, and for one season, he looked like one of the best running backs to ever do it at that level.
After breaking out as a Sophomore, Salaam took the college football world by storm as a junior, putting together a season for the ages. Not only did he rush for 100 or more yards on ten occasions, but he also rushed for 200 or more yards four times, becoming only the third running back in the history of college football to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season.
That year, Salaam finished up with nearly 2,100 yards on the ground, scored 24 touchdowns, and averaged better than seven yards per carry. In addition to blowing away Ki-Jana Carter for the Heisman Trophy, Salaam also took home the Doak Walker Award, the Walter Camp, and was a unanimous All-American, leading to him being the No. 21 overall selection of the Chicago Bears after foregoing his senior season in Boulder.
54. Ranking every Heisman Trophy Winner: George Rogers, South Carolina Gamecocks football
The story of South Carolina Gamecocks football cannot be written without George Rogers, who was a dominant running back for the team back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Rogers ran through SEC defenses on a weekly basis, becoming not only one of the best players in the conference but a national star.
In fact, by the time Rogers had left the school, he had become automatic in terms of reaching the 100-yard barrier, finishing up with a streak of 21 straight games eclipsing that mark. As a senior, Rogers led the Gamecocks to an 8-3 record, leading the nation with nearly 1,800 yards rushing, while beating out Pitt’s Hugh Green and Georgia star freshman Herschel Walker for the Heisman Trophy.
While some point to the fact that Walker was a freshman, and that is why Rogers beat him, the fact is, Walker finished third in the balloting that year. Rogers was a player who rushed for over 1,000 yards in three straight seasons, still holds numerous school records, was the first player in school history to win the Heisman, and has his No. 38 retired.