College football: Ranking every Heisman Trophy winner
By Brad Weiss
20. Ranking every Heisman Trophy Winner: Robert Griffin III, Baylor Bears football
In the history of college football, there are few players who could hold a candle to Robert Griffin III when it comes to his athleticism. An All-American track star before he even put on a Baylor Bears uniform, RGIII would go on to become one of the more decorated football players in Baylor history, as he lifted the program out of the cellar of the Big 12.
A rare blend of speed and accuracy throwing the football, Griffin III followed Art Briles to Baylor after the coach had promised to keep him as a quarterback. The move paid off for Briles and this Baylor program. After a strong freshman season, a bump in the road as a sophomore, and a redshirt sophomore season that saw him throw for over 3,500 yards, the stage was set for one of the more impressive Heisman seasons in history.
Playing for a Bears team that was supposed to finish in the middle of the pack in the Big 12, Griffin III went nuts, going for nearly 5,000 yards of total offense, and leading the Bears to a top-15 ranking. That was their best ranking in 50 years, and for RGIII, it put him on the map as one of the better pro prospects coming out.
Running away with the Heisman Trophy, RGIII has a passer efficiency rating over 190, the highest in Heisman history, and he would end up being the No. 2 overall pick in the draft by the now-Washington Football Team. Injuries robbed him of what could have been a very special NFL career, but for a brief moment in college football history, this was a guy who was must-watch television every week.