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| Heisman finalists for 2011 bared! |
The 2011 Heisman finalists will be invited to New York for the live Heisman Trophy announcement this Saturday, December 10, which will air on ESPN at 8pm EST presented by Nissan North America.
For the fourth straight year, two Heisman finalists will face each other in the BCS National Championship Game as Tyrann Mathieu will go up against Trent Richardson on January 9, 2012.
University of Wisconsin running back Montee Ball is leading the nation with 1,759 rushing yards as well as 32 rushing touchdowns for Wisconsin. He holds second place all-time at UW with 60 career touchdowns and 54 career rushing touchdowns. He has the opportunity to join two other Badgers in this elite fraternity: Ron Dayne (1999) and Alan Ameche (1954).
Baylor University quarterback Robert Griffin III has the opportunity to be the first player from Baylor to receive The Heisman Memorial Trophy. The junior quarterback is ranked second in the nation in total offense with 387 yards per game. This season he threw 36 touchdowns and passed for 3,998 yards. Griffin and former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow are two of four players in major college history with at least 9,000 yards passing and 2,000 yards rushing in a career.
Stanford University quarterback Andrew Luck is looking to be the second Cardinal to take home The Heisman Trophy after Jim Plunkett won in 1970. The red-shirt junior passed for 3,170 yards and 35 touchdowns this season. Luck leads the Pac-12 in passing efficiency with 167.5 and broke Stanford's records for career touchdown passes and single-season touchdown passes. While leading the Cardinals to an 11-1 record, he rushed for 153 yards and scored 2 touchdowns.
Louisiana State University cornerback Tyrann Mathieu is looking to be the second LSU Tiger to win The Heisman Memorial Trophy after Billy Cannon won in 1959. The sophomore had 71 tackles, 5 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions this year. He also gained 420 yards and 2 touchdowns in punt returns during LSU's 13-0 season. If Mathieu wins, he will be the second cornerback to be inducted into this group of outstanding college football players joining Charles Woodson (1997).
University of Alabama Trent Richardson rushed for 1,583 yards and had 20 touchdowns this season for Alabama. In nine of his twelve games, the running back rushed for over 100 yards for the 11-1 Crimson Tide. If awarded the Heisman, Richardson will only be the second player from Alabama to receive the trophy after 2009 winner, Mark Ingram, Jr.
"Prevailing out of one of the deepest and most highly contested fields in recent history, we would like to congratulate this year's Heisman finalists for their outstanding season," said Robert Whalen, Executive Director of the Heisman Trophy Trust. "We look forward to December 10, when the winner is announced."
The Heisman Trophy is given to the most outstanding college football player in the United States. The voters include 870 media representatives from six regions across the country, every living Heisman winner, and one overall fan vote through a partnership with Nissan North America.
A Press Release | Photo courtesy of Heisman Trophy
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