The Best Heisman Trophy Winners of All Time

Updated June 14, 2019 34.4k votes 2.9k voters 25.1k views83 items

List RulesPlease rank the players only on their Heisman season and not how they played in the pros or in bowl games

A list of the best Heisman Trophy winners of all time. Since 1935, the Heisman Trophy has been handed out to the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. Some of the greatest players in college football history have won this award. The Heisman Trophy is one of the most coveted awards in all of American sports. Of the tens of thousands of players who compete on Saturdays, many of them want to win this award.

Notre Dame and Ohio State are currently the schools with the most Heisman winners with 7 each. USC is second with 6, though they had 7 prior to Reggie Bush vacating the 2005 Heisman Trophy due to a controversial ruling by the NCAA. Schools, students and alumni take a lot of pride when one of their players winning the Heisman.

The list of collegiate superstars who have won the Heisman is impressive. Pro Football Hall of Fame running backs like Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders, USC's Marcus Allen and Texas's Earl Campbell were all recipients of the Heisman Trophy. Ohio State's Archie Griffin is the only two-time Heisman winner. More recently, quarterbacks like Auburn's Cam Newton, Baylor's Robert Griffin III and Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel have won the award.

College football is one of the most popular sports in America. Second to winning a national championship, nothing riles up a school's fan base like having a player in contention to win the Heisman Trophy.

This is the list of all of the Heisman Trophy winners of all time. Vote or rerank this list based on who you think is the greatest Heisman Trophy winner ever.

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Barry Sanders
Running back
Birthplace: Wichita, Kansas, United States of America
Age: 52
Teams: Oklahoma State Cowboys football, Detroit Lions
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#10 of 143 Athletes Whose Careers Ended Too Soon#1 of 22 The Best 80s College Running Backs
2
972
359
Bo Jackson
Running back
Birthplace: Bessemer, Alabama, United States of America
Age: 57
Teams: Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
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#109 of 511 The Best Baseball Players NOT in the Hall of Fame#7 of 25 MLB Players Whose Careers Ended Too Soon
3
775
315
Herschel Walker
Running back, Return specialist
Birthplace: Wrightsville, Georgia, United States of America
Age: 58
Teams: Georgia Bulldogs football team, New Jersey Generals, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys
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#1 of 44 The Best University of Georgia Football Players of All Time#13 of 60 Famous Athletes Who Could Have Dominated a Second Sport
4
554
288
Earl Campbell
Running back
Birthplace: Texas, Tyler, USA
Age: 65
Teams: New Orleans Saints, Houston Oilers, Texas Longhorns football
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#11 of 26 NFL Players Whose Careers Ended Too Soon#47 of 48 The Best University of Tennessee Football Players Ever
5
499
310
Roger Staubach
Quarterback
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
Age: 73
Teams: Navy Midshipmen football, Dallas Cowboys
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#37 of 80 The Best NFL Player Nicknames#4 of 39 The Best NFL Quarterbacks of the 1970s
6
458
287
Marcus Allen
Running back
Birthplace: San Diego, California, United States of America
Age: 55
Teams: USC Trojans football, Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs
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#5 of 26 The Best NFL Running Backs of the 80s#4 of 47 The Best Super Bowl MVPs of All Time
7
626
408
Charles Woodson
Cornerback, Return specialist
Birthplace: Sebring, Ohio, United States of America
Age: 43
Teams: Michigan Wolverines football, Oakland Raiders, Green Bay Packers
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#13 of 432 The Greatest Defenders in NFL History#5 of 61 The Best NFL Players From Ohio
8
436
278
Tony Dorsett
Running back
Birthplace: Rochester, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Age: 66
Teams: Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Panthers football, Dallas Cowboys
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#5 of 27 The Best NFL Running Backs of the 70s#40 of 106 The Fastest NFL Players of All Time
9
463
316
Archie Griffin
Running back
Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
Age: 66
Teams: Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Bulls, Ohio State Buckeyes football
10
598
484
Tim Tebow
Quarterback
Birthplace: Makati, Philippines
Age: 33
Teams: Denver Broncos, Florida Gators football, New England Patriots, New York Jets
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#9 of 150 Athletes You Didn't Know Were Conservative#35 of 65 Who Is The Most Charming Man Alive?
11
357
289
Eddie George
Running back
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Age: 47
Teams: Tennessee Titans, Ohio State Buckeyes football, Dallas Cowboys
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#1351 of 1,355 The Greatest Minds of All Time#2 of 83 The Best Ohio State Buckeyes of All Time
12
395
323
Ricky Williams
Running back
Birthplace: San Diego, California, United States of America
Age: 38
Teams: New Orleans Saints, Toronto Argonauts, Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins, Texas Longhorns football
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#65 of 95 The Best Baltimore Ravens of All Time#11 of 15 The Worst NFL Trades Ever Made
13
114
52
Derrick Henry
Running Back
Teams: Tennessee Titans
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#1 of 91 The Best Alabama Crimson Tide Football Players of All Time#28 of 206 The Best NFL Running Backs of All Time

14
294
235
Billy Sims
Running Back
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
Age: 65
Teams: Oklahoma Sooners football, Detroit Lions
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#3 of 74 The Best Oklahoma Sooners of All Time#1 of 32 The Best Oklahoma Sooners Running Backs of All Time
15
359
334
Reggie Bush
Running back
Birthplace: Spring Valley, California, United States of America
Age: 30
Teams: New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins
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#7 of 104 The Best USC Trojans Players of All Time#2 of 30 Athletes Famous Only for Off-Court Behavior
16
447
453
O. J. Simpson
Running back
Birthplace: California, United States of America
Age: 68
Teams: Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers
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Facts About OJ Simpson That Will Make Your Skin Crawl#121 of 904 Celebrity Death Pool 2021
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281
222
Paul Hornung
Running Back
Birthplace: Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
Age: 84
Teams: Notre Dame Fighting Irish football, Green Bay Packers
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#5 of 35 Undeserving Members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame#5 of 286 The Best Green Bay Packers Of All Time
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190
171
Ernie Davis
Running Back
Birthplace: New Salem-Buffington, Pennsylvania
Age: Dec. at 24 (1939-1963)
Teams: Cleveland Browns, Syracuse Orange football
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232
210
Doak Walker
Running back, Return specialist
Birthplace: Dallas, Texas
Age: Died at 71 (1927-1998)
Teams: Southern Methodist University Mustang football, Southern Methodist University Mustangs football, Detroit Lions
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#34 of 69 The Best NFL Players From Texas#3 of 31 The Best Detroit Lions Running Backs of All Time
20
340
332
Doug Flutie
Quarterback
Birthplace: Manchester, Maryland, United States of America
Age: 53
Teams: Buffalo Bills, Toronto Argonauts, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, New Jersey Generals
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#23 of 45 The Best NFL Quarterbacks of the '80s#12 of 119 The Greatest College Football Quarterbacks of All Time
21
98
67
Lamar Jackson
Quarterback
Teams: Baltimore Ravens
22
491
499
Cam Newton
Quarterback
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia
Age: 26
Teams: Carolina Panthers
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#85 of 85 The Best University of Florida Football Players of All Time#19 of 53 The Best No. 1 Overall NFL Draft Picks Of All Time, Ranked
23
323
333
Tim Brown
Wide Receiver
Birthplace: Dallas, Texas
Age: 54
Teams: Notre Dame Fighting Irish football, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oakland Raiders
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#24 of 214 The Best Wide Receivers of All Time#2 of 82 The Best Notre Dame Football Players of All Time

24
231
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Jim Plunkett
Quarterback
Birthplace: San Jose, California, United States of America
Age: 68
Teams: Stanford Cardinal football, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers
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#32 of 252 The Best Quarterbacks Of All Time#22 of 322 People Who Should Be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
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342
369
Desmond Howard
Return specialist, Punt returner
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Age: 50
Teams: Michigan Wolverines football, Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers
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#50 of 119 The Best Detroit Lions of All Time#2 of 87 The Best Michigan Football Players of All Time

Doak Walker

Lamar Jackson