They Gave It Ol’ College Try But Several Heisman Winners Have Been Lackluster Pros

The NFL was not an option for John Heisman when he finished playing at Penn in 1891. And for many of those who have received the award named for him, it’s been more of the same.

Too short. Too slow. Not big enough. Not enough moves. From Jay Berwanger to Charlie Ward, the most outstanding player in college football has had great difficulty matching that success in the pros.

“The award is for what you’ve accomplished that year,” 1984 winner Doug Flutie said Thursday. “If you want to vote on who’s going to be the best professional prospect, put up another award for that. It will probably go to an offensive or defensive lineman.

“It kills me” that a player is perceived as a flop if he doesn’t star in the NFL, said Flutie, who didn’t. “It’s not a flop. It’s the most outstanding player over that season in college football.”

Ohio State’s Eddie George, Nebraska’s Tommie Frazier and Florida’s Danny Wuerffel are the favorites for this year’s award, which will be presented at New York’s Downtown Athletic Club Saturday. But whether they’ll be judged as flops in the pros will be decided on NFL Sundays.

Flutie, who as a former winner gets to vote, predicted that George would win. He also said the Ohio State running back would have an easier time fitting into the NFL than Frazier, who ran an option offense at Nebraska.

“Eddie probably has a very bright future,” Flutie said. “Tommie, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t.

“But stereotypes might get in the way. He’ll be banging his head against the wall trying to prove people wrong. I believe he can do it. But people get classified as one type of player, and it works against them.”

Berwanger, a University of Chicago halfback who won the first Heisman, also was the first player ever selected in the NFL draft. But the league lacked the stature it now has, and he passed on professional football.

Among the Heisman winners who have played well in the pros are Alan Ameche, Paul Hornung, Roger Staubach, O.J. Simpson, Jim Plunkett, Marcus Allen and Barry Sanders. But since Sanders won the 1988 award, no Heisman winner has excelled in the NFL.

“There were a lot of people who thought I was crazy when I drafted Barry,” Detroit Lions coach Wayne Fontes said. “They thought he was too small to play in the NFL.”

That’s also what they said about the 5-foot-9-3/4 Flutie when he came out of Boston College.

Flutie has gotten it done in the CFL, winning the league’s MVP four times and one Grey Cup title.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: COLLEGE FOOTBALL AWARD WINNERS College football awards given out Thursday at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show from Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Maxwell Award (top player overall) and Doak Walker Award (top running back): Eddie George of Ohio State. Coach of year: Gary Barnett, Northwestern. Davey O’Brien Award (top quarterback): Danny Wuerffel of Florida. Fred Biletnikoff Award (top receiver): Terry Glenn of Ohio State. Chuck Bednarik Award (top defensive player): Linebacker Pat Fitzgerald of Northwestern. Outland Trophy (top interior lineman): Jonathan Ogden of UCLA. Jim Thorpe Award (top defensive back): Greg Myers of Colorado State.