The Heisman Trophy speaks to college greatness. It does not assure stardom in the pros. Some quarterbacks went on to long careers. Others, short. Where are they now?
Terry Baker: 1962
Oregon State’s Terry Baker is retired after a career practicing business law for 40 years. Baker started his first game in the NFL and it was his only start. He played for the Los Angeles Rams, appeared in 18 games in three years, rushing for 210 yards and a TD, catching 22 passes for 210 yards and two TDs and completing 12 of 21 passes for 154 yards and no TDs with four interceptions.
Roger Staubach: 1963
Roger Staubach went from Navy to the military service to the Dallas Cowboys. He has been a successful business man for many decades.
John Huarte: 1964
John Huarte became a household name at Notre Dame. He’s gone on to a successful business career. In November 2018, John and Eileen Huarte were able to donate a generous $1 million to the University of Notre Dame. In 1977, Huarte signed a lease on the back of a cardboard box and opened the first Arizona Tile location in San Diego. “Our success solely comes from the vision that John and (his wife) Eileen Huarte had for this company when starting it – the sensibility that our relationships with our customers and our fellow employees are the most important aspect of what we do,” company President, Bob Traxler said.
Steve Spurrier: 1966
Steve Spurrier most recently was coach of a team in the defunct AAF. He also, of course, coached college ball at his alma mater, Florida, and South Carolina. He also coached in the NFL.
Gary Beban: 1967
Gary Beban won the Heisman at UCLA despite falling to USC, 21-20, in an epic battle. He went on to work for CBRE in commercial real estate for 47 years before retiring. It’s been an exciting time to be part of this industry, with so many ways to listen and so many tools available to support our clients. When it comes down to it, no matter what role I was playing—broker, manager, leader—I always tried to do the best I could. I wasn’t focused solely on the next step, or which rung I wanted to climb. I hope I’m remembered for that. I just wanted to do my best work, and it turned out to be a wonderful, 46-year long experience.
Jim Plunkett: 1970
Jim Plunkett won the Heisman at Stanford and found success on his third stop in the NFL. After playing for the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers, he starred for the Raiders. Plunkett has had 18 surgeries as a result of the wear and tear from football. Last year, he joined This fall Plunkett has joined NFL Hall of Famers Steve Young and Ronnie Lott on an effort to raise awareness and educate football players about concussions. The three longtime Bay Area NFL stars have joined as advisors to TeachAids, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to launch a research-based interactive concussion education product called CrashCourse, this September.
Pat Sullivan: 1971
Pat Sullivan (left) is a special adviser to the school president at Samford, where he was the Bulldogs’ head coach for eight years before stepping down after the 2014 season.
Doug Flutie: 1984
Doug Flutie found a home in the broadcast booth and currently calls games for NBC on its Notre Dame broadcasts.
Vinny Testaverde: 1986
Vinny Testaverde was in the news recently when his son was invited to a Tampa Bay Bucs tryout camp. He coached his son at Jesuit High School in Florida, serving as QB coach.
Andre Ware: 1989
Andre Ware went from putting up pinball-machine numbers at Houston to a disappointing NFL career. He has found far more success in the broadcast booth, where he works for ESPN and the SEC Network.
Ty Detmer: 1990
Ty Detmer had a journeyman NFL career. He eventually became offensive coordinator at BYU but was let go after a 4-9 season in 2017. Detmer has run football camps and most recently is helping out with the football program at Queen Creek Casteel High in Arizona.
Gino Torretta: 1992
Gino Torretta has long worked as a color commentator for collegiate and professional football games, He also is a Sirius/XM co-host and Senior VP at GAMCO. Among his charitable works, he hosts the Gino Torretta Celebrity Blue Tee Weekend benefiting The Torretta Foundation, which aims to find a cure for ALS and Myasthenia Gravis.
Charlie Ward: 1993
Charlie Ward won the Heisman at FSU. He didn’t play pro football, rather signing with the NBA New York Knicks, who drafted him in the first round as a guard. As of March 2018, Ward was named the Ambassador of Football for Florida State University. Charlie became the Head Boy’s Basketball Coach for the Florida State University’s Developmental Research School, “Florida High,” in Tallahassee last year.
Danny Wuerffel: 1996
Danny Wuerffel is the Executive Director of Desire Street Ministries, headquartered Atlanta Georgia. Following his career in football, Danny felt called to serve those in under-resourced neighborhoods, which continues to be his focus.
Chris Weinke: 2000
Chris Weinke had a pro baseball career before playing college football for Florida State. He did not have great success in the Blue Jays’ system and became a Seminole in 1996. Weinke won the Heisman and had a marginal career in the NFL. He has been in the business world post-football, but returned to the gridiron, coaching at Alabama and Tennesee, where he currently is the quarterbacks coach.
Eric Crouch: 2001
Eric Crouch set numerous records and swept quarterback awards for Nebraska in 2001. As a pro, he bounced from league to league with little success. After leaving football as a player, Eric Crouch was a sales territory manager for a major medical device manufacturer. He has been a TV studio analysts. rouch is the current running backs and special teams coach at Midland University in Fremont, Ne.
Carson Palmer: 2002
Carson Palmer was the king of USC football, throwing for almost 4,000 yards and 33 touchdowns. He went on to a long career with three NFL teams, finishing with the Arizona Cardinals. Palmer retired in early 2018. “For the next year, my family and I are going to disappear into the mountains,” Palmer said after retiring in 2018. “We’re getting away from the iPads and the iPhones and going on a family adventure. We’re going to ski, hang out, get away from the hustle and bustle and traffic, and just be a family.”
Jason White: 2003
One of four Oklahoma quarterbacks to make this list is Jason White. He was an offensive force for the Sooners. However, injured knees end any chance at an NFL career. White had a business called A Store Divided, an OU/OSU memorabilia store. White currently is the vice president of sales for Oklahoma City-based Air Comfort Solutions.
Matt Leinart: 2004
Matt Leinart was another USC quarterback to capture the Heisman. He wound up in Arionza, like Carson Palmer, and did not have a successful NFL career. He currently is a college football analyst on FS1 and a licensed real estate agent.
Troy Smith: 2006
Troy Smith has a short and forgettable pro career after winning the Heisman at Ohio State. Most recently, he appeared at an Arena Football game, flipping the coin for the pregame toss. Smith never played for the Columbus Destroyers but was introduced to the crowd as a “Buckeyes legend.”
Tim Tebow: 2007
Tim Tebow is currently having struggles in the Mets’ Triple A farm system.
Sam Bradford: 2008
Sam Bradford was injured in college at Oklahoma and the same bug has bitten him numerous times in his NFL career. He is currently a free agent, having played last season in Arizona.
Cam Newton: 2010
Cam Newton moved from Auburn to the Carolina Panthers, where he continues to be their top quarterback and a dynamic duel threat.
Robert Griffin III: 2011
Robert Griffin III’s NFL career started off like a rocket ship and fell apart as quickly. After an inspiring first-year run with Washington, injuries sidelined an apparent great career. He backed up Joe Flacco and Lamar Jackson in Baltimore last season.
Johnny Manziel: 2012
Johnny Manziel found all sorts of trouble off the field. He has bounced from the NFL to the NFL and, most recently, the AAF. Whether he has a future in pro football is highly questionable.
Jameis Winston: 2013
Jameis Winston has managed to create controversy in college and in the pros. He found trouble at Florida State on multiple occasions and has been suspended in the NFL. He remains with the Tampa Bay Bucs.
Marcus Mariota: 2014
Marcus Mariota went from Oregon to the Tennessee Titans. Every time his career seems on track, he is banged up or injured and things get derailed.
Lamar Jackson 2016
Lamar Jackson went from Louisville to the Baltimore Ravens as a top draft pick. He waited his turn as a rookie and it came and he led the team to the playoffs after replacing longtime starter Joe Flacco.
Baker Mayfield: 2017
Baker Mayfield went from Texas Tech to Oklahoma, where he won the Heisman. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns and has been a vital cog in the team’s turnaround.
Kyler Murray: 2018
Kyler Murray won the Heisman at Oklahoma. That changed many things in the quarterback’s life. Most importantly, it made him reconsider his signing with the Oakland Athletics, who drafted him in the first round of the MLB Draft. He opted for the NFL and became the No. 1 overall pick of the Arizona Cardinals.
