John Heisman is a legendary figure in the history of American football, but did you know he is connected to Texas?
Born on October 23, 1869, in Cleveland, Ohio, Heisman made lasting contributions to the sport both as a player and a coach. The Heisman Trophy, awarded every year to the nation’s best college football player, is named after him—a testament to his lasting legacy.
In 1924, John Heisman took over as the coach at Rice University in Texas, marking an essential chapter in his storied career. His time in Texas was transformative; Heisman brought innovative strategies and tough training methods to the fledgling football program at Rice.
Heisman is credited with several football innovations, like the forward pass, the hidden ball trick, and the center/tackle exchange, which helped shape modern football. At Rice, he instilled discipline and skill in his players, creating a competitive team and laying the foundation for the university’s future success in college football. Although his time at Rice was relatively short, his impact was significant and lasting, contributing a lot to the school’s athletic heritage.
The trophy named after Heisman also has a rich tradition in Texas. Ten winners were born or played high school football in Texas, in addition to the numerous other former Texas high school football stars who were Heisman Trophy finalists but did not win, like Vince Young and Colt McCoy.
Heisman Trophy Winners From Texas
- Davey O’Brien (1938)
- Born: Dallas, Texas
- High School: Woodrow Wilson High School
- College: Texas Christian University (TCU)
- College Stats: 1,733 passing yards, 19 touchdowns
- Doak Walker (1948)
- Born: Dallas, Texas
- High School: Highland Park High School
- College: Southern Methodist University (SMU)
- College Stats: 3,065 all-purpose yards, 288 points (45 games)
- John David Crow (1957)
- Born: Marion, Texas
- High School: Springhill High School (Louisiana)
- College: Texas A&M University
- College Stats: 129 carries, 562 rushing yards, 6 touchdowns (senior year)
- Tim Brown (1987)
- Born: Dallas, Texas
- High School: Woodrow Wilson High School
- College: University of Notre Dame
- College Stats: 5,024 all-purpose yards, 22 touchdowns
- Andre Ware (1989)
- Born: Galveston, Texas
- High School: Dickinson High School
- College: University of Houston
- College Stats: 4,699 passing yards, 46 touchdowns (Heisman season)
- Ty Detmer (1990)
- Born: San Marcos, Texas
- High School: Southwest High School (San Antonio, Texas)
- College: Brigham Young University (BYU)
- College Stats: 15,031 passing yards, 121 touchdowns (career)
- Robert Griffin III (2011)
- Born: Okinawa, Japan (Moved to Texas as a child)
- High School: Copperas Cove High School
- College: Baylor University
- College Stats: 10,366 passing yards, 78 passing touchdowns, 2,254 rushing yards, 33 rushing touchdowns (career)
- Johnny Manziel (2012)
- Born: Tyler, Texas
- High School: Tivy High School (Kerrville, Texas)
- College: Texas A&M University
- College Stats: 7,820 passing yards, 63 passing touchdowns, 2,169 rushing yards, 30 rushing touchdowns (career)
- Baker Mayfield (2017)
- Born: Austin, Texas
- High School: Lake Travis High School
- College: University of Oklahoma
- College Stats: 14,607 passing yards, 131 passing touchdowns, 21 rushing touchdowns (career)
- Kyler Murray (2018)
- Born: Bedford, Texas
- High School: Allen High School
- College: University of Oklahoma
- College Stats: 4,361 passing yards, 42 passing touchdowns, 1,001 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns (Heisman season)
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