So being recognized as the best player in college football for a particular season doesn't mean much. Gotcha.
Ask these “best.” Talk of a curse in relation to bowl results was particularly prevalent from 2003 to 2008, when six Heisman Trophy winners compiled a cumulative 1–5 bowl game record, and five of those six led number one ranked teams into the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship Game as favorites (Heisman Trophy winners, including Reggie Bush, who gave back his Heisman Trophy, are 4–8 overall in the BCS National Championship Game and College Football Playoff National Championship, although prior to 2009 they were 1–6). Additionally, the Heisman curse asserts that in most cases a Heisman winner will have either a poor career in the National Football League (NFL), or in fact not even see such a football career at all. Although many Heisman winners have not enjoyed success at the professional level, including players like Matt Leinart, Andre Ware, Jason White, Rashaan Salaam, Eric Crouch, Ty Detmer, Troy Smith and Gino Torretta,
It is a beauty contest and nothing more. Sports writers and broadcasters do the majority of the voting which is all you need to know.
The Heisman remains the most illustrious individual award in American team sports. There used to be a regional bias, and it used to be impossible for an underclassman to win - but that hasn't been true in years. We have some real cranky MFers up in here. I can root for Joe to win and it doesn't mean that I'm not "focusing enough on winning games" or whatever. I don't play on the football team and neither do you. It is a huge boost in visibility and recruiting too. Eddie O can be in a 5* QB's house and tell him that LSU is a place where he can win the Heisman, and be a Top 5 draft pick.
Alan Ameche did pretty well. Paul Hornung did pretty well. John David Crow did pretty well. Roger Staubach did pretty well. Steve Spurrier did pretty well. Jim Plunkett did pretty well. Tony Dorsett did pretty well. Earl Campbell did pretty well. Billy Sims did pretty well. Marcus Allen did pretty well. Herschel Walker did pretty well. Bo Jackson did pretty well. Tim Brown did pretty well. Barry Sanders did pretty well. Is that enough?
