College football: Ranking every Heisman Trophy winner
By Brad Weiss
Black Knights. Pete Dawkins. 49. player. 2365. . RB
49. Ranking every Heisman Trophy Winner: Pete Dawkins, Army Black Knights football
While researching for this project, few players stood out as much as Pete Dawkins in terms of being such a fascinating Heisman Trophy winner. Not only did he excel on the gridiron, which landed him the most coveted individual award in college football, but he also served in the military for over 20 years, and went on to be Rhodes Scholar at Oxford as well.
Sticking with the football side of things, Dawkins was a member of a storied piece of Army football history, as the 1958 team, the year he won the Heisman, finished the year as the No. 3 team in the country. Dawkins was the key to the team going 8-0-1 that season, as he rushed for over 400 yards and five touchdowns, caught six more scores, and had over 1,200 all-purpose yards.
An incredible runner, and a dangerous left-handed passer, Dawkins became the third member of the Army Black Knights program to take home the Heisman Trophy. He also ended up the winner of the Maxwell Award and was an All-American that season. An assistant captain on the Army hockey team as well, Dawkins easily beat Randy Duncan from Iowa for the Heisman Trophy and certainly had a life well-lived.
48. Ranking every Heisman Trophy Winner: Troy Smith, Ohio State Buckeyes football
The story of Troy Smith becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the country is a stunning one, as he went from a local kid, growing up in Columbus, Ohio, to becoming a Heisman Trophy winner. During his start at Ohio State, Smith was seen as an ‘athlete,’ someone who entered the program listed as a kick returner and running back.
However, he would soon blossom into one of the best quarterbacks to ever put on an Ohio State uniform. He shredded defenses across two seasons in Columbus after taking over for the 2005 college football campaign. After leading the Buckeyes to a Fiesta Bowl win that season, and throwing for nearly 2,300 yards and 16 touchdowns to go along with over 600 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, the stage was set for his Heisman Trophy campaign.
In 2006, Smith became the Heisman Trophy winner, as he completed nearly 70 percent of his passes, tossed 30 touchdowns against only five interceptions, and actually had the second-highest margin of victory in terms of Heisman voting. A unanimous All-American, he may have had a tough end to his career at Ohio State against Florida, but he was named by ESPN as the Big Ten’s Player of the Decade, and his exploits against Michigan have made him a Buckeyes legend.