Clemson’s wait for a Heisman trophy winner continues.
Tigers star quarterback Trevor Lawrence finished second in Heisman voting, it was revealed Tuesday night. The award is given annually to the best player in college football.
Lawrence is the runner-up behind Alabama senior receiver DeVonta Smith, who had 105 catches for 1,641 yards and 20 touchdowns this season.
Lawrence was only the second Clemson player to be named a Heisman finalist. He missed two games in the 2020 regular season but still completed nearly 70% of his passes for 2,753 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions. He had seven rushing scores.
Former Tigers QB Deshaun Watson named a Heisman finalist twice, finishing as the runner-up in 2016 and third in 2015.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney made his pitch for Lawrence several times late in the season, including prior to the Sugar Bowl.
“To me, he’s the epitome of the Heisman in every regard,” Swinney said. “You’re talking about a guy that lost Joseph Ngata, Frank Ladson, and Justyn Ross for the whole year. And he’s thrown for more yards than any team in the history of Clemson this year. Unbelievable what he’s done.”
Lawrence finished his career 34-2 as a starter. He is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft.
“There’s some amazing, amazing young football players out there, college football players, that are very deserving of the Heisman. Absolutely,” Swinney said. “But the best player in the country is Trevor Lawrence. And to me, it’s not close.”
———
The Heisman trophy is named after John Heisman, a former college football coach who was born in 1869.
Heisman coached at several schools, including Clemson. He went 19-3-2 in four seasons leading the Tigers, helping Clemson to three conference championships in his four years.
Heisman was named the first athletic director of the Downtown Athletic Club of New York City in 1930. He organized and founded the Touchdown Club of New York, and later the National Football Coaches Association.
Heisman organized a voting system to determine the best college football player in the country, and in 1935, the first Downtown Athletic Club Award was given to Chicago’s Jay Berwanger.
Heisman died of pneumonia in 1936 before the second award was given out. Officers of the Downtown Athletic Club unanimously voted to rename the DAC Award the Heisman Memorial Trophy that year in honor of Heisman.
———
HEISMAN TROPHY WINNER LIST
1935: Jay Berwanger, running back, Chicago
1936: Larry Kelley, end, Yale
1937: Clint Frank, quarterback, Yale
1938: Davey O’Brien, quarterback, TCU
1939: Nile Kinnick, running back, Iowa
1940: Tom Harmon, running back, Michigan
1941: Bruce Smith, running back, Minnesota
1942: Frank Sinkwich, running back, Georgia
1943: Angelo Bertelli, quarterback, Notre Dame
1944: Les Horvath, quarterback, Ohio State
1945: Doc Blanchard, fullback, Army
1946: Glenn Davis, running back, Army
1947: John Lujack, quarterback, Notre Dame
1948: Doak Walker, running back, Southern Methodist
1949: Leon Hart, end, Notre Dame
1950: Vic Janowicz, running back, Ohio State
1951: Dick Kazmaier, running back, Princeton
1952: Billy Vessels, running back, Oklahoma
1953: John Lattner, running back, Notre Dame
1954: Alan Ameche, fullback, Wisconsin
1955: Howard Cassady, running back, Ohio State
1956: Paul Hornung, quarterback, Notre Dame
1957: John David Crow, running back, Texas A&M
1958: Pete Dawkins, running back, Army
1959: Billy Cannon, running back, Louisiana State
1960: Joe Bellino, running back, Navy
1961: Ernie Davis, running back, Syracuse
1962: Terry Baker, quarterback, Oregon State
1963: Roger Staubach, quarterback, Navy
1964: John Huarte, quarterback, Notre Dame
1965: Mike Garrett, running back, USC
1966: Steve Spurrier, quarterback, Florida
1967: Gary Beban, quarterback, UCLA
1968: O.J. Simpson, running back, USC
1969: Steve Owens, fullback, Oklahoma
1970: Jim Plunkett, quarterback, Stanford
1971: Pat Sullivan, quarterback, Auburn
1972: Johnny Rodgers, running back, Nebraska
1973: John Cappelletti, running back, Penn State
1974: Archie Griffin, running back, Ohio State
1975: Archie Griffin, running back, Ohio State
1976: Tony Dorsett, running back, Pittsburgh
1977: Earl Campbell, running back, Texas
1978: Billy Sims, running back, Oklahoma
1979: Charles White, running back, USC
1980: George Rogers, running back, South Carolina
1981: Marcus Allen, running back, USC
1982: Herschel Walker, running back, Georgia
1983: Mike Rozier, running back, Nebraska
1984: Doug Flutie, quarterback, Boston College
1985: Bo Jackson, running back, Auburn
1986: Vinny Testaverde, quarterback, Miami
1987: Tim Brown, wide receiver, Notre Dame
1988: Barry Sanders, running back, Oklahoma State
1989: Andre Ware, quarterback, Houston
1990: Ty Detmer, quarterback, Brigham Young
1991: Desmond Howard, wide receiver, Michigan
1992: Gino Torretta, quarterback, Miami
1993: Charlie Ward, quarterback, Florida State
1994: Rashaan Salaam, running back, Colorado
1995: Eddie George, running back, Ohio State
1996: Danny Wuerffel, quarterback, Florida
1997: Charles Woodson, cornerback, Michigan
1998: Ricky Williams, running back, Texas
1999: Ron Dayne, running back, Wisconsin
2000: Chris Weinke, quarterback, Florida State
2001: Eric Crouch, quarterback, Nebraska
2002: Carson Palmer, quarterback, USC
2003: Jason White, quarterback, Oklahoma
2004: Matt Leinart, quarterback, USC
2005: Reggie Bush, running back, USC
2006: Troy Smith, quarterback, Ohio State
2007: Tim Tebow, quarterback, Florida
2008: Sam Bradford, quarterback, Oklahoma
2009: Mark Ingram, running back, Alabama
2010: Cam Newton, quarterback, Auburn
2011: Robert Griffin, quarterback, Baylor
2012: Johnny Manziel, quarterback, Texas A&M
2013: Jameis Winston, quarterback, Florida State
2014: Marcus Mariota, quarterback, Oregon
2015: Derrick Henry, running back, Alabama
2016: Lamar Jackson, quarterback, Louisville
2017: Baker Mayfield, quarterback, Oklahoma
2018: Kyler Murray, quarterback, Oklahoma
2019: Joe Burrow, quarterback, LSU
2020: DeVonta Smith, wide receiver, Alabama
