The Syracuse Orange football program has a long, deep pedigree that stretches across 135 years and has amassed 740 wins in that time. The Orange has a history of great players from the program — one of the iconic athletic departments in the Northeast.
While Syracuse has produced athletes from a variety of sports, including two-sport star Jim Brown, the school has had multiple Heisman Trophy finalists to add to the Orange lore.
The Heisman Trophy is an annual award given to the most outstanding player in college football, and multiple Syracuse football players have been nominated for the award. Let’s examine the Syracuse Orange Heisman Trophy candidates list and unveil who won the award and why.
Ernie Davis, RB, 1961
Becoming the first Black player to win a Heisman Trophy, Ernie Davis emerged as the winner after a fantastic all-around season. Davis rushed for 823 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Orange as a senior and led the team in receptions, too, with 16 catches for 157 yards.
The legendary season for Davis, who was nicknamed “The Elmira Express” due to his massive 6’2″, 211-pound frame and his incredible speed, led the Orange to a top-10 finish. Davis also broke Jim Brown’s career records with 2,386 rushing yards, 3,414 all-purpose yards, 220 points, and 35 touchdowns.
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Washington drafted Davis but quickly traded him to the Cleveland Browns. Sadly, Davis’ career and life were cut tragically short as he was diagnosed with leukemia and died in 1963 after a 16-month battle.
Davis was such an electric athlete and his story was so impactful that a movie was made about his life and the Heisman Trophy win. “The Express: The Ernie Davis Story” was released on Oct. 10, 2008, and chronicled Davis’ journey as Syracuse with Rob Brown playing Davis and Dennis Quaid portraying his coach, Ben Schwartzwalder.
While Davis is the only player from Syracuse to win the Heisman Trophy, there have been multiple players to be nominated for the award. Before Davis won the award, Jim Brown finished fifth in the voting in 1956. Floyd Little, Larry Csonka, and Don McPherson were all finalists, with McPherson finishing second in voting.
In 1998, Donovan McNabb finished fifth in the Heisman voting after a record-breaking season. Defensive end Dwight Freeney also ended up finishing ninth in 2001.
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