When discussing the great programs in college football history, one would be hard-pressed to hold that conversation without mentioning the Oklahoma Sooners. With seven national titles and 900+ wins on their résumé, the Sooners hold clout as one of the best programs in the country.
As with any traditional powerhouse, the team accomplishments come with individual player recognition, and Oklahoma has plenty of those as well. With seven total winners of the Heisman Trophy, the Sooners are tied for second on the list ranking Heisman winners by school.
The Heisman Trophy is an annual award given to the most outstanding player in college football, and the Sooners have had several legendary players win the award. Let’s examine the Oklahoma Sooners Heisman Trophy winners and recap their contributions to the program.
Billy Vessels, RB (1952)
Billy Vessels was the first-ever Heisman Trophy winner to rush for over 1,000 yards and won the award after breaking his leg his junior year and sitting out six games. His Heisman moment came in a game against Notre Dame as he rushed for 195 yards on just 17 carries and scored three touchdowns, one of which was a reception. While the Sooners lost the game 27-21, it introduced the country to Vessels and led to his Heisman victory.
Steve Owens, RB, 1969
Steve Owens was a big back who carried the ball 358 times en route to 1,523 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground. He had two 200+ yard games and was the bright spot on a team that lost a slew of players to graduation the year previous — and he was the main reason the Sooners finished with a winning record in 1969. Owens went on to lead a plethora of charitable endeavors and was elected to the College Hall of Fame in 1991.
Billy Sims, RB (1978)
Billy Sims was just the sixth junior to win the Heisman Trophy when he led the nation in rushing in 1978 following an injury-riddled sophomore season. He set a single-season rushing record for the Big Eight with 1,762 yards and averaged more than 7.0 yards per carry to go with his 20 touchdowns.
Sims beat out Chuck Fusina of Penn State for the award, despite Fusina having more first-place votes, and led Oklahoma to a 10-1 record and a win in the Orange Bowl.
Jason White, QB (2003)
Jason White was the ultimate redemption story as he came back from multiple injuries to win the award in 2003. His campaign numbers were impressive, especially considering he was dealing with rehabbed ACL tears in both knees as he threw for 3,744 yards and 40 touchdowns with just eight interceptions.
His performance helped the Sooners go undefeated and earned his team a berth in the BCS National Championship Game. White beat out Pitt wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald to win the award and returned to Oklahoma in 2004 after being granted another year of eligibility, finishing third in the Heisman voting that year.
Sam Bradford, QB (2008)
Sam Bradford was the second consecutive sophomore to win the award, and he did so with some gaudy numbers. His 53 total touchdowns are tied with Marcus Mariota for the most in Heisman history, and he led the Sooners to the highest-scoring offense in NCAA history behind his 4,464 yards passing.
His 48 touchdown passes to just six interceptions is an astounding number, and he added five rushing touchdowns as well. Bradford beat out Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow to win the award even though Tebow had more first-place votes. Tebow exacted his revenge as Florida beat the Sooners in the BCS title game, but the season was one of the more impressive in the history of the Heisman Trophy.
Baker Mayfield, QB (2017)
The sixth Sooner overall and the third straight quarterback, Mayfield produced one of the most efficient seasons in history on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy. He was also the first Heisman winner to begin his collegiate career as a walk-on since the introduction of scholarships in the 1950s.
Mayfield broke through after finishing top five in the Heisman voting the two years previous and threw for 4,340 yards and 41 touchdowns with just five interceptions. He led the Sooners to a 12-1 record and a berth in the College Football Playoff that season, beating out Stanford’s Bryce Love to win the award.
Mayfield was the first senior to win the award since Troy Smith in 2006 and at the time was the first player to win the award after transferring directly from another FBS school since Doc Blanchard in 1945.
Kyler Murray, QB (2018)
Murray put together a truly remarkable performance to become the seventh Sooner and second consecutive Oklahoma player to win a Heisman trophy. His 4,946 total yards of offense and 51 total touchdowns were impressive, and he did all that while being the first player to win a Heisman Trophy while taking over for a previous Heisman winner. His win was just the fourth time that a school has won consecutive Heisman Trophies.
Murray made it happen with his arms and his legs in 2018, with 4,054 yards passing and 892 yards rushing. His 40 passing touchdowns and 11 rushing helped Oklahoma to a 12-1 record and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. His passer rating of 205.72 was the best in Heisman history and eclipsed the mark set by Mayfield the year previous.
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