These players may have earned second-fiddle status in the Heisman Trophy voting, but they didn’t let the disappointment of not winning that award slow them down. Discover the amazing feats and accomplishments from the players that finished second in the voting for college football’s top individual award. They became Super Bowl champions, famous actors, Supreme Court Justices and more!!!
While the success and sometimes failure of Heisman Trophy winners is well documented, discover the tremendous on and off the field accomplishments of these men that came oh so close to forever being know as a Heisman Trophy winner.
Discover the amazing accomplishments of these distinguished players that finished
second in the Heisman Voting without later winning the award.
| 1937- Byron “Wizzer” White
(Colorado)
Runner up to Clinton Frank
(Yale) in 1937
| After his All-American career as a halfback at Colorado, White became a Rhodes
Scholar. White played three NFL seasons and earned All-Pro honors each year.
The Colorado native also led the league in rushing twice and was named to the
NFL’s 1940s All-Decade Team.In World War II, White served as an intelligence office in the US Navy and was
awarded two Bronze Star Medals. White’s most remarkable accomplishment took
place in 1962 when President Kennedy appointed him to the United States
Supreme Court. White served on the nation’s highest court until his retirement in
1993. | 1946- Charlie Trippi
(Georgia)
Runner up to Glen Davis
(Army)
| After being selected with the first pick of the 1945 NFL Draft, Trippi played nine
seasons for the Chicago Bears. The former Georgia star was a 3x All-Pro as a
halfback and quarterback. Trippi was named to the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team
and was a 1968 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee.
| 1946- Bob Chappuis
(Michigan)
Runner up to Johnny Lujack
(Notre Dame)
| Unlike other Heisman runner ups that had a huge impact following their playing
days, our primary reason for spotlighting Chappuis is for what he did prior to
finishing second in the 1946 Heisman voting.
After initially suiting up for the Wolverines in 1942, Chappuis traded in his Big Blue
uniform for an Army uniform.As a radio operator and aerial gunner on a B-25 bomber in World War II, Chappuis
flew on 21 missions against the Axis forces. His plane was shot down in February
1945, but Chappuis was able to parachute before the plane crashed. Chappuis
and two crew members were rescued and hidden by friendly civilians for the last
three months of the war. | 1956- Johnny Majors
(Tennessee)
Runner up to Paul Hornung
(Notre Dame)
| Not only did Johnny Majors impact college football as an All-American tailback at
Tennessee, but he also had a profound impact on the college game as a coach.
Majors won 185 games as a head coach at Iowa State, Tennessee and two stints
at Pittsburgh. Majors guided Pitt to the 1976 National Championship.
| 1957- Alex Karras
(Iowa)
Runner up to John David
Crow (Texas A&M)
| After starring as lineman and winning the Outland Trophy at Iowa, Alex Karras has
a tremendous career in the NFL. When his playing days were over, Karras stayed
in the spotlight as a, movie star and as a famous TV dad. The former Hawkeye
played 12 NFL seasons and is a member of the NFL’s 1960s All-Decade Team.
Karras’ top acting roles were as Mongo in the movie Blazing Saddles and as the
dad on the hit TV show Webster. Karras also served as a commentator on Monday
Night Football for several seasons.
| 1966- Bob Griese (Purdue)
Runner up to Steve Spurrier
(Florida)
| Following his dynamic career at Purdue, Bob Griese made a championship impact
in the NFL. As a Miami Dolphin, Griese was a 6x Pro Bowler and led the Dolphins
to two Super Bowl titles. The former Boilermaker was inducted into the Pro
Football Hall of Fame in 1990. Griese has remained a part of our football lives as
a very respected color analyst on college football broadcasts.
| 1970- Joe Theismann (Notre
Dame)
Runner up to Jim Plunkett
(Stanford)
| Notre Dame’s Joe Theisman wanted the Heisman Trophy so bad, that he
reportedly changed the pronunciation of his last name to rhyme with Heisman.
While never winning college football’s top individual award, Theisman captured pro
football’s top prize by winning Super Bowl XVII. After a horrific leg injury ended his
career, Theismann has prospered as an NFL broadcaster.
| 1971- Ed Marinaro (Cornell)
Runner up to Pat Sullivan
(Auburn)
| After leading the nation in rushing in 1970 and 1971, Marinaro played several
seasons in the NFL. However it was his work as an actor that most fans may
remember. He appeared on a number of TV series including his biggest role as
office Joe Coffey on Hill Street Blues from 1981 to 1986.
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1982- John Elway (Stanford)
Runner up to Herschel Walker
(Georgia)
| Elway headed into the NFL as the first pick of the 1983 draft. Although he was a 9x
Pro Bowl selection, it wasn’t until the end of his career that solidified his status as
one of pro football’s elite QB’s. Elway guided the Denver Broncos to Super Bowl
titles in his last two seasons in 1997 and 1998. The former Bronco is a member
of the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of
Fame in 2004.
| 1983- Steve Young
(BYU)
Runner up to Mike Rozier
(Nebraska)
| Although he played much of his pro career in the shadow of Joe Montana’s legacy,
Steve Young ran and passed his way to Super Bowl glory with the San Francisco
49ers. Young was a part of three championship teams and was the MVP of Super
Bowl XXIX. Young was a two-time NFL MVP in 1992 and 1994 and was inducted
into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
| 1992 – Marshall Faulk
(San Diego State)
Runner up to Gino Torretta
| Stellar would be an understatement when describing the incredible NFL career
delivered by Marshall Faulk. The former Colts and Rams star was a six-time
All-Pro, a Super Bowl (XXXIV) champion and the 2000 NFL MVP. Faulk’s No. 28
jersey is retired by the St. Louis Rams and in 2011 he was inducted in the Pro
Football Hall of Fame.
| 1997 – Peyton Manning
(Tennessee)
Runner up to Charles
Woodson (Michigan)
| In some circles, he’s regarded as the best QB to play pro football. Once Manning
arrived in the NFL he immediately impressed pundits with his precision passing,
decision making and leadership. Manning is the NFL’s only 4x time MVP and is a
two-time Super Bowl winner (With Colts and Broncos) and MVP of Super Bowl (XLI). The former Indianapolis Colt was the fastest
player in NFL history to reach 50,000 yards, 400 TDs, 4,000 completions & more and retired as the all-time leader in TD passes and many more records.
| 2003 – Larry Fitzgerald
(Pittsburgh)
Runner up to Jason White
(Oklahoma)
| The former Pitt Panther quickly established himself as one of the NFL’s premier
receivers. With multiple Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections, the Arizona Cardinals receiver has earned Pro Football Hall of Fame credentials.
| 2004 – Adrian Peterson
(Oklahoma)
Runner up to Matt Leinart
(USC)
| Peterson gained NFL stardom quickly after being drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2007. Peterson was the NFL’s MVP in 2012 and was the 3rd fastest player in NFL history to rush for 10,000 yards. |
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