Super Bowl MVP , five time NFL MVP ,Comeback Player of the year , and 14 time pro bowler are all on Peyton Manning‘s first-ballot hall of fame resume. But something is missing that Manning will never get another chance at; The Heisman Trophy. And that bothers him.
Way back in 1997 Peyton Manning finished as the runner-up in the Heisman trophy voting only behind Charles Woodson, who Manning and the Broncos happen to face on Sunday in Oakland.
| Rk | Player | School | Class | Pos | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Tot | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Woodson | Michigan | JR | DB | 433 | 209 | 98 | 1815 | |
| 2 | Peyton Manning | Tennessee | SR | QB | 281 | 263 | 174 | 1543 | 287 Cmp, 477 Att, 3819 Yds, 36 TD, 11 Int |
| 3 | Ryan Leaf* | Washington State | JR | QB | 70 | 205 | 241 | 861 | 227 Cmp, 410 Att, 3968 Yds, 34 TD, 11 Int |
| 4 | Randy Moss* | Marshall | SO | WR | 17 | 56 | 90 | 253 | 96 Rec, 1820 Yds, 19.0 Avg, 26 TD |
| 5 | Curtis Enis | Penn State | JR | RB | 3 | 18 | 20 | 65 | 228 Att, 1363 Yds, 6.0 Avg, 19 TD |
| 5 | Ricky Williams | Texas | JR | RB | 3 | 18 | 20 | 65 | 279 Att, 1893 Yds, 6.8 Avg, 25 TD |
| 7 | Tim Dwight | Iowa | SR | RB | 5 | 3 | 11 | 32 | 39 Rec, 653 Yds, 16.7 Avg, 8 TD |
| 8 | Cade McNown* | UCLA | JR | QB | 0 | 7 | 12 | 26 | 189 Cmp, 312 Att, 3116 Yds, 24 TD, 6 Int |
| 9 | Tim Couch | Kentucky | SO | QB | 0 | 5 | 12 | 22 | 363 Cmp, 547 Att, 3884 Yds, 37 TD, 19 Int |
| 10 | Amos Zereoue* | West Virginia | SO | RB | 3 | 1 | 10 | 21 | 281 Att, 1589 Yds, 5.7 Avg, 18 TD |
Woodson is the last defensive player to win the Heisman when he upset Manning, the favorite, in 1997.
In his Wednesday presser, Manning was asked about himself, Woodson and Matt Hasselbeck, (the final three active players from the 1998 NFL draft) all starting last Sunday. “It’s a good thing”Manning said. “We’re still hanging in there. Woodson has had two, what really should have been, game saving interceptions. It should have probably helped them win the Chicago game and it definitely helped them seal the Cleveland game. He’s making a lot of plays. He’s the leader of that defense back there. It’s a real credit to him to be playing at a high level like he is.”
Manning was then asked to look back at his Heisman-less season and see if he had any fond memories of the experience. “No not necessarily” Manning replied shortly. 17 years later it still hurts. Manning is typically well versed in any question he is asked, quick with a politically correct response, but you could tell he’s still licking the wounds he suffered in 1997.
Manning very well may retire with almost every record to his name, but he’ll always have an empty spot on the mantle for the Heisman.
1 Comment
Still, after all these years, I’m probably more bothered by that joke of a Heisman year than Peyton is.