Heisman Headscratchers Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jay Berwanger, University of Chicago

Jay Berwanger started it all in 1935. While Grange and Thorpe were certainly of Heisman caliber, their college days were before the inception of the award. Doc Blanchard was that good too. He was the eleventh recipient of the award in 1945.

Answer: Yale University

Yale University's Larry Kelley and Clint Frank won the Heisman Trophy in 1936 and 1937, respectively, in just the second and third awards. Kelley holds the distinction of being the first to win the trophy after it was named for Heisman. The "Whiffenpoof Song" is the signature anthem of the Whiffenpoofs, Yale University's famed a capella singing group, which had already been in existence some 27 years when Kelley won his Heisman.

Answer: Steve Spurrier

Miami-born quarterback Steve Spurrier won the University of Florida's first Heisman Trophy in 1966. Thirty years later, his apt quarterbacking pupil, Danny Wuerffel, won the Gators' second Heisman enroute to Florida's first (Spurrier's only) national championship.

Answer: first African American to win Heisman Trophy

Ernie Davis' win in 1961 was the second big blow to segregated sports in the United States, coming less than 15 years after Jackie Robinson broke the color line in baseball. Tragically, Davis died of monocystic leukemia at age twenty-three, before he could extend his legacy. President Kennedy sent a message to Davis' funeral, and Davis was eulogized on the floor of both houses of Congress.

Answer: Paul Hornung, Notre Dame

Paul Hornung's win in 1956 came despite Notre Dame's abysmal two-win season, out of character for a program that won over 800 games in its first hundred years of college football. The other three nominees all won their Heisman Trophies while their teams had fine seasons. "Wake up the echoes" is a well-known snippet from the famed "Notre Dame Fight Song".

Answer: all of these, and more

The remarkable Mr. Heisman was mentioned in the same breath as legendary coaches like Amos Alonzo Stagg, won the national title with Georgia Tech in 1917, wrote sports columns, and ran the Downtown Athletic Club. He was also accounted one of the better orators of his day; during his coaching years, he was known to perform on stage professionally during the off-season, winning good reviews.

Answer: zero

About the only thing "the Bear" didn't accomplish at Alabama was a Heisman Trophy winner. He did mark that box on his curriculum vitae before he got to Alabama. In 1957, Bryant's last season coaching Texas A&M, running back John David Crow won the Heisman, the only winner of the award Bryant ever coached in his storied career.

Answer: All were tied with six

Not only did Ohio, California, and Florida each see six Heismans come to their states during the 20th Century, Texas did, too. The Heisman voting process is designed to minimize regional favoritism, but, big programs in telegenic locations have an edge.

Answer: sportswriters, previous winners, fans in a survey

Sportswriters have and do dominate the process, by design. Several hundred sportswriters, an equal number from multiple geographic regions, theoretically reduce regional bias. Previous winners also vote, but since it's unlikely that more than about 70 will be alive at one time, their influence is limited. Since 2011, fans get a single vote determined by a survey.

Answer: stiff-arm block

The stiff-arm block is the only blocking technique that a ball carrier can execute to his own benefit. It's also devilishly tricky to do correctly, without being pulled down by the arm, or being penalized for impacting the opponent's face.