The Texas Longhorns program has a history as rich and interesting as the state itself and is considered one of the true blue-blood programs in college football, despite most Texas fans claiming they bleed Texas orange.
Texas’ history is full of unique characters and layered with varying levels of success, and the list of Heisman Trophy winners does not disappoint.
The Heisman Trophy is an annual award given to the most outstanding player in college football, and multiple Texas football players have earned the award.
Let’s examine the list of Texas Longhorns Heisman winners and the legacies they left behind at their alma mater.
Earl Campbell, RB 1977
Earl Campbell was a beast of a running back, and though he was known as the “Tyler Rose,” it was his physical running style that made defenders remember the name.
Campbell led the nation in rushing as a senior in 1977 with 1,744 yards and 19 touchdowns, but it was his clinching performance against rival Texas A&M with 222 yards that pushed the Longhorns to a 57-28 win and an undefeated season.
Campbell swept every region but one, the southwest, as Heisman runner-up Terry Miller from Oklahoma State managed to edge out Campbell there.
But even still, Campbell beat out both Miller and Notre Dame’s Ken MacAfee to win the award.
Ricky Williams, RB 1998
It took 21 years for Texas’ next Heisman winner, and Ricky Williams burst onto the scene much like he burst through defenses throughout his career at Texas and beyond. Williams put together a monster Heisman campaign that saw him ramble for 2,327 yards and amass 29 touchdowns. He also tallied 307 receiving yards and a touchdown receiving to go with his totals.
Still, it was Williams’ dominance rushing the football that led him to beat out other candidates in Kansas State’s Michael Bishop, UCLA’s Cade McNown, and Kentucky’s Tim Couch in a landslide victory as he swept all voting regions and posted the greatest overall percentage of votes with 78% of the 920 voters.
Heisman Close Finishes
In addition to the winners listed above, the Longhorns have had several close finishes.
In 2005, quarterback Vince Young finished second behind Reggie Bush, and in 2008, quarterback Colt McCoy finished just behind Sam Bradford of the Oklahoma Sooners.
In 1975, running back Roosevelt Leaks rushed for 1,415 yards and 14 touchdowns but finished third. Jimmy Saxton also finished third in 1961 behind Syracuse legend Ernie Davis and Ohio State’s Bob Ferguson.