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By TIM DAHLBERG, AP Sports Columnist
December 6, 2006
The people who hand out the Heisman Trophy were at it again Wednesday, extending invitations to a trio of top college players for an all-expense-paid weekend in New York City.
They could have saved some money this year. And while they're at it, they could have trimmed the hour-long TV extravaganza announcing the award to one 30-second clip.
Keep the $500-a-plate dinner, though, because it gives guys like Eric Crouch and Jason White a chance to hang around football types again.
Troy Smith of Ohio State will win the Heisman on Saturday. If that comes as any sort of surprise, then you might be one of those still thinking Michigan is playing for the national championship.
This vote has all the suspense of a U.S. Open without Tiger Woods.
That's not to say Smith is a bad choice. Hard to argue with the quarterback who led his team to an undefeated season and a berth in the BCS title game.
Smith's story of overcoming a tough childhood and some of his own mistakes off the field is a compelling one, too. He's bringing his mother to New York, the first trip to the Big Apple for both of them, so expect to see some feel-good moments if you're a big enough fan to sit through the made-for-television coverage.
The better prize, though, probably will be won by one of the guys smiling and clapping while the hermetically sealed envelope is opened and Smith is declared the Heisman winner.
That would be Brady Quinn, who entered the season as the favorite to win the trophy but fell out of favor with voters when he stumbled against Michigan and his receivers dropped too many balls against Southern California.
The Heisman looks nice in a trophy case. But the No. 1 draft pick in the NFL can buy as many trophy cases as he wants.
That's what Quinn is likely to be in April when the NFL makes millionaires out of a lot of players barely old enough to legally order a drink.
Smith? Not only is he not projected as a first-round pick, but one of his receivers, Ted Ginn Jr., will probably go before him.
It's not always the case with the Heisman, but there can be a big difference between getting a big award and getting big bucks. That's especially true with quarterbacks, who might thrive in a structured situation in college but lack the size or arm for starting in the NFL.
Crouch certainly didn't get rich after winning the Heisman at Nebraska in 2001. He never played a down in the NFL, and is currently a seldom-used backup quarterback for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.
White, meanwhile, wasn't even drafted and had to beg for an NFL tryout even after throwing 79 career touchdown passes at Oklahoma and winning the Heisman three years ago. He retired before throwing a pass for pay, saying two ACL tears slowed him down too much to play.
Unlike Heisman voters, NFL coaches and owners look at a lot of other things before making a decision on draft day. They run players through time and strength tests, find out how flexible they are, and even check to see if they are smart enough to learn their X's and O's.
What they don't do is look to see where a player finished in the voting for the Heisman.
Mario Williams didn't get a sniff from voters last year when a star-studded cast dueled it out for the award won by Reggie Bush. But the defensive end from North Carolina State did get $26.5 million guaranteed from the Houston Texans in a deal that could eventually earn him $62 million.
Bush, of course, didn't do too badly himself, getting almost the same money from the New Orleans Saints. And it was hard to argue with the top three of Bush, Matt Leinart and Vince Young.
Smith will be the runaway winner this year, the 24th quarterback to win the famous trophy first awarded Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago in 1935. Berwanger was also the first player ever chosen in the first NFL draft, but never played as a pro because the Bears didn't want to pay him his demand of $25,000 for two years.
It's hard to be critical of Smith, who completed two out of every three passes and threw for 30 touchdowns. But his win came partly because the favored Quinn didn't play up to voter expectations and Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson broke his collarbone midway through the season just as he seemed to be hitting his stride.
Quinn and Peterson, though, are assured big paydays once their names are called in the draft. Not so for Smith, who, though supremely talented and mobile, is undersized and occasionally wild with his throws.
Yes, the Heisman is a great tradition, a great honor, and it looks great over the fireplace.
Too bad it can't guarantee greatness in the NFL.
Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at [email protected]
December 6, 2006
The people who hand out the Heisman Trophy were at it again Wednesday, extending invitations to a trio of top college players for an all-expense-paid weekend in New York City.
They could have saved some money this year. And while they're at it, they could have trimmed the hour-long TV extravaganza announcing the award to one 30-second clip.
Keep the $500-a-plate dinner, though, because it gives guys like Eric Crouch and Jason White a chance to hang around football types again.
Troy Smith of Ohio State will win the Heisman on Saturday. If that comes as any sort of surprise, then you might be one of those still thinking Michigan is playing for the national championship.
This vote has all the suspense of a U.S. Open without Tiger Woods.
That's not to say Smith is a bad choice. Hard to argue with the quarterback who led his team to an undefeated season and a berth in the BCS title game.
Smith's story of overcoming a tough childhood and some of his own mistakes off the field is a compelling one, too. He's bringing his mother to New York, the first trip to the Big Apple for both of them, so expect to see some feel-good moments if you're a big enough fan to sit through the made-for-television coverage.
The better prize, though, probably will be won by one of the guys smiling and clapping while the hermetically sealed envelope is opened and Smith is declared the Heisman winner.
That would be Brady Quinn, who entered the season as the favorite to win the trophy but fell out of favor with voters when he stumbled against Michigan and his receivers dropped too many balls against Southern California.
The Heisman looks nice in a trophy case. But the No. 1 draft pick in the NFL can buy as many trophy cases as he wants.
That's what Quinn is likely to be in April when the NFL makes millionaires out of a lot of players barely old enough to legally order a drink.
Smith? Not only is he not projected as a first-round pick, but one of his receivers, Ted Ginn Jr., will probably go before him.
It's not always the case with the Heisman, but there can be a big difference between getting a big award and getting big bucks. That's especially true with quarterbacks, who might thrive in a structured situation in college but lack the size or arm for starting in the NFL.
Crouch certainly didn't get rich after winning the Heisman at Nebraska in 2001. He never played a down in the NFL, and is currently a seldom-used backup quarterback for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.
White, meanwhile, wasn't even drafted and had to beg for an NFL tryout even after throwing 79 career touchdown passes at Oklahoma and winning the Heisman three years ago. He retired before throwing a pass for pay, saying two ACL tears slowed him down too much to play.
Unlike Heisman voters, NFL coaches and owners look at a lot of other things before making a decision on draft day. They run players through time and strength tests, find out how flexible they are, and even check to see if they are smart enough to learn their X's and O's.
What they don't do is look to see where a player finished in the voting for the Heisman.
Mario Williams didn't get a sniff from voters last year when a star-studded cast dueled it out for the award won by Reggie Bush. But the defensive end from North Carolina State did get $26.5 million guaranteed from the Houston Texans in a deal that could eventually earn him $62 million.
Bush, of course, didn't do too badly himself, getting almost the same money from the New Orleans Saints. And it was hard to argue with the top three of Bush, Matt Leinart and Vince Young.
Smith will be the runaway winner this year, the 24th quarterback to win the famous trophy first awarded Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago in 1935. Berwanger was also the first player ever chosen in the first NFL draft, but never played as a pro because the Bears didn't want to pay him his demand of $25,000 for two years.
It's hard to be critical of Smith, who completed two out of every three passes and threw for 30 touchdowns. But his win came partly because the favored Quinn didn't play up to voter expectations and Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson broke his collarbone midway through the season just as he seemed to be hitting his stride.
Quinn and Peterson, though, are assured big paydays once their names are called in the draft. Not so for Smith, who, though supremely talented and mobile, is undersized and occasionally wild with his throws.
Yes, the Heisman is a great tradition, a great honor, and it looks great over the fireplace.
Too bad it can't guarantee greatness in the NFL.
Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at [email protected]
