Draft’s top QBs honed skills in Texas 7-on-7

Houston is a long way from Radio City Music Hall. Copperas Cove might be in the center of Texas, but it’s not usually the center of attention. And Big Spring, Texas, will never be confused with the Big Apple.

But today, if three quarterbacks are selected in the first round of the NFL draft as expected, the spotlight will also shine on the state of Texas. Stanford’s Andrew Luck, who is from Houston, will be drafted No. 1 by theIndianapolis Colts, and Baylor’s Robert Griffin III, from Copperas Cove, is headed to the Washington Redskinsat No. 2. Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill, from Big Spring, will likely be a top-10 pick.

Read more: usatoday.com

RG3 wins Baylor’s first Heisman

NEW YORK – Robert Griffin III beat out preseason favorite Andrew Luck for the Heisman Trophy, dazzling voters with his ability to throw, run and lead Big 12 doormat Baylor into the national rankings.

The quarterback known as RG3 became the first Heisman winner from Baylor on Saturday night by a comfortable cushion over the Stanford star.

Griffin started the season on the fringe of the Heisman conversation, a talented and exciting player on a marginal team, while Luck was already being touted as a No. 1 NFL draft pick.

Read more from Rivals.com

12.11.11

In tight Heisman race, stats justify the vote

I’ve voted for the Heisman for about 20 years and still have no idea of the best way to pick the most outstanding player in college football.

It’s a personal decision, as much gut feel as cold science. The criteria you use one year might be different from what you use the next. Personal stats, team success, level of competition, memorable moments … they’re all part of the recipe, but the measurements change from December to December.

This year is one of the toughest votes yet. There are five finalists for the Heisman – an unusually large number, indicative of the wide-open nature of the race for the most prestigious individual award in sports.

Read more from Rivals.com

12.8.11

Keenum not headed to NYC

The finalists for the 2011 Heisman Trophy were announced on Monday and Houston quarterback Case Keenum was not among the group of five finalists that will be headed to New York City for the award ceremony on Saturday.

The Heisman Trophy finalists are: Montee Ball (Wisconsin), Robert Griffin III (Baylor), Andrew Luck (Stanford), Tyrann Mathieu (LSU) and Trent Richardson (Alabama).

It doesn’t come as a surprise in the wake of Houston’s 49-28 loss to Southern Mississippi in the Conference USA championship game on Saturday. Despite Keenum’s gaudy statistics and long list of NCAA records broken, it was widely speculated that he needed a strong performance on Saturday and a UH win for the sixth-year senior to be among the invitees. A “Heisman moment” if you will.

Read more from Chron.com

12.6.11

Honey Badger earns MVP; Heisman isn’t farfetched

Maybe “Honey Badger” will win the Heisman after all. Tyrann Mathieu, owner of a most unique nickname, kept up his season-long heroics against Georgia in Saturday’s SEC Championship game at the Georgia Dome.

He returned a punt for a touchdown, had a dizzying return that set up another score and recovered a fumble for the Tigers that led to a touchdown in their 42-10 victory. Mathieu’s play earned him the game’s MVP award and, more importantly, helped top-ranked and undefeated LSU secure a spot in the BCS championship game.

Read more from AJC.com

12.6.11

Heisman race too close to call

After leading Baylor to a 48-24 victory over Texas on Saturday, typically humble Bears quarterback Robert Griffin III stepped out of character and proclaimed, “I could be wrong, but I think Baylor won its first Heisman Trophy tonight.”

Griffin was right on target: He could be wrong.

Although Griffin capped a tremendous season by throwing two touchdown passes and running for two more scores against the Longhorns, this is not the season to make any assumptions about what figures to be an extremely close Heisman vote.

Read more from Rivals.com

12.6.11

A new look at Newton, dad

Auburn quarterback Cam Newton was awarded the Heisman Trophy on Saturday for being the nation’s most outstanding college football player.

It was the proper call. He was the best, most valuable and, considering the avalanche that descended on him, strongest-minded player in America. If the NCAA wasn’t willing to declare him ineligible – effectively calling its own rules meaningless – no one else should care about said rules.

There was only one thing missing from the dream night: his father Cecil, who the NCAA says asked Mississippi State for $180,000 during his son’s recruitment. (There’s no allegation the Newtons asked for, or received, anything from Auburn).

yahoo.com
12/11/10

Cam Newton wins, integrity loses

Mel Kiper Jr. was on ESPN the other day and said anybody who left Cam Newton off of their Heisman Trophy ballot for integrity issues should be stripped of their vote.

Isn’t there something sick and sad, paradoxical and perverse about big-time sports when a national media figure vilifies voters who have chosen not to ignore the Heisman Trophy’s own mission statement regarding integrity?

orlandosentinel.com
12/11/10

Character matters. Integrity matters. Ethics matter. Except in the Heisman Trophy voting

When you begin a career as a sports writer, nobody tells you that you’ll spend a fair amount of time at police stations, and in court houses, and that you’ll become proficient in filing Freedom of Information Act requests.

But you do.
You don’t view yourself as a judge. Nor a member of the jury. Nor are sports journalists here to police the athletes, teams, leagues and sport.
But I love what the Football Writer’s Association of America did on Saturday.

oregonlive.com
12/11/10

Newton situation exposes NCAA — again

For those of you who believe in the myth of “amateur” athletics, I have a solution for you:

Support NCAA legislation that pays the coaches and executives in education, too.

Yeah, let’s give Nick Saban and Dan Mullen books, room and board to law school or medical school or whatever higher degree of education they aspire to. Let’s level the playing field and give all the NCAA employees a shot at more education instead of more money. The slave catchers, moralizers and Tim Tebow worshippers — the men and women troubled that Cecil Newton’s boy is going to win the Heisman Trophy — obviously believe there’s something sacred and special about “amateur” status.

foxsports.com
12/10/10