Robert Griffin III wins first Heisman Trophy for Baylor

By Associated Press

Saturday, December 10, 2011

photo Tonight Robert Griffin III was announced the first ever Heisman trophy winner from Baylor. Heisman Trophy finalists from left, Alabama running back Trent Richardson, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, Wisconsin running back Montee Ball and LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu stand with the Heisman Trophy after an informal roundtable conference with media members, Friday, Dec. 9, 2011, in New York.

LIST OF HEISMAN TROPHY WINNERS (1935-2011)2011_Robert Griffin III, Baylor, QB2010_Cam Newton, Auburn, QB2009_Mark Ingram, Alabama, RB2008_Sam Bradford, Oklahoma, QB2007_Tim Tebow, Florida, QB2006_Troy Smith, Ohio State, QB2005_Vacated2004_Matt Leinart, Southern Cal, QB2003_Jason White, Oklahoma, QB2002_Carson Palmer, Southern Cal, QB2001_Eric Crouch, Nebraska, QB2000_Chris Weinke, Florida St., QB1999_Ron Dayne, Wisconsin, RB1998_Ricky Williams, Texas, RB1997_Charles Woodson, Michigan, CB1996_Danny Wuerffel, Florida, QB1995_Eddie George, Ohio State, TB1994_Rashaan Salaam, Colorado, RB1993_Charlie Ward, Florida State, QB1992_Gino Torretta, Miami, QB1991_Desmond Howard, Michigan, WR1990_Ty Detmer, Brigham Young, QB1989_Andre Ware, Houston, QB1988_Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State, RB1987_Tim Brown, Notre Dame, WR1986_Vinny Testaverde, Miami, QB1985_Bo Jackson, Auburn, TB1984_Doug Flutie, Boston College, QB1983_Mike Rozier, Nebraska, TB1982_Herschel Walker, Georgia, HB1981_Marcus Allen, Southern Cal, TB1980_George Rogers, South Carolina, HB1979_Charles White, Southern Cal, TB1978_Billy Sims, Oklahoma, HB1977_Earl Campbell, Texas, FB1976_Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh, HB1975_Archie Griffin, Ohio State, HB1974_Archie Griffin, Ohio State, HB1973_John Cappelletti, Penn State, HB1972_Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska, FL1971_Pat Sullivan, Auburn, QB1970_Jim Plunkett, Stanford, QB1969_Steve Owens, Oklahoma, HB1968_O.J. Simpson, Southern Cal, TB1967_Gary Beban, UCLA, QB1966_Steve Spurrier, Florida, QB1965_Mike Garrett, Southern Cal, TB1964_John Huarte, Notre Dame, QB1963_Roger Staubach, Navy, QB1962_Terry Baker, Oregon State, QB1961_Ernie Davis, Syracuse, HB1960_Joe Bellino, Navy, HB1959_Billy Cannon, LSU, HB1958_Pete Dawkins, Army, HB1957_John David Crow, Texas A&M, HB1956_Paul Hornung, Notre Dame, QB1955_Howard Cassady, Ohio State, HB1954_Alan Ameche, Wisconsin, FB1953_John Lattner, Notre Dame, HB1952_Billy Vessels, Oklahoma, HB1951_Dick Kazmaier, Princeton, HB1950_Vic Janowicz, Ohio State, HB1949_Leon Hart, Notre Dame, E1948_Doak Walker, SMU, HB1947_John Lujack, Notre Dame, QB1946_Glenn Davis, Army, HB1945_Doc Blanchard, Army, HB1944_Les Horvath, Ohio State, QB1943_Angelo Bertelli, Notre Dame, QB1942_Frank Sinkwich, Georgia, HB1941_Bruce Smith, Minnesota, HB1940_Tom Harmon, Michigan, HB1939_Nile Kinnick, Iowa, HB1938_Davey O'Brien, Texas Christian, QB1937_Clint Frank, Yale, HB1936_Larry Kelley, Yale, E1935_Jay Berwanger, Chicago, HB

NEW YORK (AP) - Robert Griffin III beat out preseason favorite Andrew Luck for the Heisman Trophy, dazzling voters with his ability to throw, run and lead Big 12 doormat Baylor into the national rankings.

The quarterback known as RG3 became the first Heisman winner from Baylor on Saturday night by a comfortable cushion over the Stanford star.

Griffin started the season on the fringe of the Heisman conversation, a talented and exciting player on a marginal team, while Luck was already being touted as a No. 1 NFL draft pick.

Draft day might very well still belong to Luck, but Griffin diverted the Heisman to Waco, Texas, to a school that has never had a player finish better than fourth in the voting - and that was 48 years ago.

The junior received 405 first-place votes and 1,687 points. Luck received 247 first-place votes and 1,407 points to become the fourth player to be Heisman runner-up in consecutive seasons and first since Arkansas running back Darren McFadden in 2006 and '07.

Alabama running back Trent Richardson was third with 138 first-place votes and 978 points. Wisconsin running back Montee Ball (348 points) was fourth and the other finalist, LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu (327) was fifth.

Griffin's highlights were simply spectacular - his signature moment coming on a long, cross-field touchdown pass with 8 seconds left to beat Oklahoma - and he put up dizzying numbers, completing 72 percent of his passes for 3,998 yards with 36 touchdown passes and a nation-leading 192.3 efficiency rating.

More importantly, he lifted Baylor (9-3) to national prominence and one of the greatest seasons in school history. The 15th-ranked Bears won nine games for the first time in 25 years, beat the Sooners for the first time ever and went 4-0 in November.

That was after winning a total of four November games in their first 15 Big 12 seasons. And the last three games? Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Texas.

Luck was the front-runner from the moment in January he surprised many by returning to Stanford for one more season instead of jumping to the NFL to become a millionaire. He didn't disappoint, with 3,170 yards receiving, 35 touchdown passes, a completion percentage of 70 percent and a rating of 167.5.

Griffin put up better numbers and, essentially, out-Lucked Luck, who became a star by lifting a forlorn program at a private school out of the shadows of its powerful conference rivals.

Luck made a sensational one-handed catch early in what turned out to be a blowout victory against UCLA. Nice.

Griffin made a 15-yard reception in traffic to convert a key third down on the game-winning drive in Baylor's opening 50-48 victory against TCU. Better.

The 6-foot-2, 220 pounder with sprinter's speed - he was an all-American in the 400-meter hurdles - grabbed plenty of headlines and attention with that first Friday performance against the Horned Frogs and ended the first month of the season with more touchdown passes than incompletions.

He was an early Heisman front-runner, but he faded in October as Baylor lost three of four. Griffin continued to pile up video game numbers, but not enough to compensate for the Bears' leaky defense.

He finished with a kick and shot up the Heisman charts on Nov. 19, when Baylor beat Oklahoma 45-38. Griffin passed for 479 yards and four touchdowns against the Sooners, including that sensational 34-yard, game-winner to Terrance Williams in the closing seconds.

He stated his case one last time - emphatically - on championship Saturday, capping his season with 320 yards passing and two TD passes and two touchdown runs in a 48-24 victory against Texas. It was the second straight year Griffin led the Bears past those longtime bullies from Austin.

At that point it become obvious that quarterback Don Trull's fourth-place finish in 1963 would no longer be the Heisman standard at Baylor.

Landing Griffin, the son of two U.S. Army sergeants who settled in central Texas, was a recruiting coup for Baylor, though it was something of a package deal.

Griffin had committed to Houston and coach Art Briles, but when Baylor hired Briles away, Griffin switched up and followed the coach to a program that hadn't even played in a bowl game sinve 1994.

He started 11 games as an 18-year-old freshman in 2008 and tore a knee ligament three games into the 2009 season.

He returned last year as good as new and with a newfound commitment and love of football. He threw for 3,501 yards and led Baylor to a 7-6 record and its first bowl appearance since 1994.

This season, his passing has improved and he's still a dangerous runner (644 yards and nine DS). He has left little doubt that he's a pro prospect, though he's got one more game - the Alamo Bowl against Washington on Dec. 29 in San Antonio - to show his stuff.

An aspiring lawyer who is working on a master's degree in communications, he holds 46 school records and adoring Bears fans are praying he comes back for more.