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College football: Ranking the NFL careers of Heisman Trophy winners 1975-2005

By Nick Villano

Sep 1, 2018; South Bend, IN, USA; Tim Brown the 1987 Heisman Trophy winner poses with the Heisman Trophy at the Heisman House located outside Notre Dame Stadium before the Michigan Wolverines play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 1, 2018; South Bend, IN, USA; Tim Brown the 1987 Heisman Trophy winner poses with the Heisman Trophy at the Heisman House located outside Notre Dame Stadium before the Michigan Wolverines play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Desmond Howard
Desmond Howard (Al Bello /Allsport) /

Ranking NFL careers of Heisman winners: 17. Desmond Howard, WR, Michigan

It was all about “the pose”. Desmond Howard made the Heisman pose during a Michigan game, and that picture lives on in infamy. It came right after he took a punt for a touchdown. Howard had a habit of doing that, making him one of the most intriguing Heisman Trophy winners in history. He led the Big Ten in scoring during his junior year, helping the Wolverines account for 138 points. He was the first receiver in history to lead the conference in points. Howard was so good, at the time it was the second-biggest margin of victory of a Heisman winner. Howard had 640 first-place votes. Washington defensive tackle Steve Emtman had the second-most first-place votes with 29.

Howard was taken with the fourth-overall pick in the NFL Draft. The Washington Football Team was looking to find an injection of talent to a team that was coming off a Super Bowl win, and Howard looked like the pick to do it. Washington didn’t need too much, but adding someone as dynamic as Howard seemed like a no brainer.

Howard never really worked out as a receiver. Over 11 years, he had under 1,600 yards. It was a massive disappointment from an offensive standpoint, but his ability as a returning kept him in the league for over a decade. Washington lost Howard to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the expansion draft. He eventually went to the Green Bay Packers where he made his biggest impact running a kickoff for touchdown against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. He was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXI.

Obviously, Howard didn’t live up to the lofty expectations of a fourth-overall pick, but he did make a major impact on the NFL. No Super Bowl MVP can fall out of the top 20.

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