Louisville Cardinals

Louisville Football: Last 10 Heisman Winners And Their Season Records

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Louisville football’s Lamar Jackson has a chance of winning the Heisman, but can he win with a team that didn’t win the National Championship?

Louisville football’s Lamar Jackson is clearly the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy this season after having an incredible year. Jackson has been the clear front-runner for every week and has handled the pressure in a solid manner.

However, there are some people out there who believe that he shouldn’t win the trophy because of the lack of success from the Louisville football team.

We decided to go back and take a look at the last ten Heisman winners and see how their teams finished their Heisman seasons:

Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry (2) celebrates a touchdown with defensive lineman Jarran Reed (90) against the Clemson Tigers in the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

2015: Derrick Henry | Running Back | Alabama (14-1)

Derrick Henry was an absolute beast for the Crimson Tide last season, as he led them all the way to the National Championship over Clemson. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans and has done a great job backing up All-Pro running back Demarco Murray.

The Crimson Tide dominated their 2015 schedule last season. Their only loss of the year came against Ole Miss in September, where they only lost by six points.

It was very clear that Henry was the best player in the country and that wasn’t just because he was on the best team in the country.

Dec 13, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota poses with the Heisman Trophy during a press conference at the New York Marriott Marquis after winning the Heisman Trophy. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

2014: Marcus Mariota | Quarterback | Oregon Ducks (13-2)

Marcus Mariota led the Oregon Ducks to the National Championship in 2014 after winning the Heisman Trophy. The Ducks eventually lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes, but that didn’t come before they destroyed the Florida State Seminoles the week before 59-20.

Mariota and Jackson are very similar in their ability to have a big play break open a football game. Both players can throw the football effectively and just run away from opposing safeties and cornerbacks.

Mariota has now gone on to play with Derrick Henry in a Tennessee Titans uniform. The second year quarterback has done a great job of learning the Titans’ offense and contending for a division title this season.

Nov 13, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) throws a pass against the Chicago Bears in the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

2013: Jameis Winston | Quarterback | Florida State (14-0)

Every Louisville football fan hates to see this guy under center. The Cards had him down 21-0 at home, but weren’t able to hold on to their huge lead. However, that was a year before Louisville had joined the ACC and Jameis Winston won the National Championship and the Heisman Trophy in the same season.

Winston is another example of a guy who just happened to be on the best team in America, the same season he won the Heisman.

That doesn’t mean that Lamar Jackson won’t win the Heisman, it just means that there can be exceptions for players that don’t play on great teams.

Fortunately for Winston, what he learned in college has translated nicely into the NFL.

Dec 13, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) warms up prior to the game against the San Francisco 49ers at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

2012: Johnny Manziel | Quarterback | Texas A&M Aggies (11-2)

Manziel is the perfect example of a quarterback who had a phenomenal season, even though his team didn’t finish as one of the best in the country. The Aggies finished 11-2 because of their 31-13 win over Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl.

Manziel’s career in the National Football League has just been a joke. He obviously doesn’t care about being a professional football player and will probably never play in the league again.

However, the things he was able to do in an Aggies’ uniform was just incredible. He was easily one of the most exciting players that I have ever watched and to top it all off, he did beat Alabama.

There aren’t too many people that are able to say that when their NCAA careers are over.

Sep 11, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) in action against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles won 29-10. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

2011: Robert Griffin III | Quarterback | Baylor Bears (10-3)

Robert Griffin is another great example of a guy who was the best player in college football, yet his team didn’t achieve great success. Baylor didn’t even finish their season as one of the top two teams in their conference.

The Bears actually lost three games in October to Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M. However, they did manage to win their next six games, while also beating Washington 67-56 in the Alamo Bowl.

See, Griffin played in a boring bowl and he still won the Heisman Trophy.

While he hasn’t had much success in the NFL, he was a fantastic quarterback as a Baylor Bears football player.

Nov 17, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) celebrates after wide receiver Ted Ginn (19) (not pictured) scores a touchdown in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

2010: Cam Newton | Quarterback | Auburn Tigers (14-0)

Okay, so this is probably one of the worst comparisons to make to Lamar Jackson this season. The Auburn Tigers went 14-0 and won the National Championship under Cam Newton.

The Tigers had literally done nothing until Newton transferred in and became the best player in college football.

Not only was he the best player in college football, but he also won the 2015 NFL MVP before losing to the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl. There aren’t too many players who have taken their Heisman talent into the National Football League and been successful, but Newton is a completely different athlete.

The Tigers did have a few close calls in Newton’s season with Auburn, but it was an easy choice to choose him as the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner.

Oct 2, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram (22) walks out of the tunnel before the game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

2009: Mark Ingram | Running Back | Alabama (14-0)

Mark Ingram was another Heisman Trophy winner that played on the best team in college football and won the National Championship. The Crimson Tide went 14-0, while just dominating everyone in their path.

One neat thing to note is that Ingram was actually the first Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Alabama.

The Crimson Tide have had so many great teams and players over the years, that it would be easy to believe that they would have had more before Ingram. However, he was their first and led Alabama to the National Championship.

The good news for Jackson is that Jalen Hurts was not named a Heisman finalist this season.

Dec 1, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford (8) passes in the first quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

2008: Sam Bradford | Quarterback | Oklahoma Sooners (12-2)

The Sooners had two losses the year that Sam Bradford won the Heisman Trophy as the quarterback for Oklahoma. They went all the way to the National Championship game, only to lose to Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators.

Bradford had a great year for the Sooners, as he also led them to five wins over ranked opponents, which included a win over #2 Texas Tech 65-21.

However, Bradford is a great example of a Heisman winner that has done nothing since entering the NFL.

Injuries have plagued his career and is currently trying to make a life for himself as the quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. However, every Louisville football fan knows that is Teddy Bridgewater’s job when he gets healthy again.

Aug 16, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tim Tebow (11) on the field for warmups against the Indianapolis Colts in a preseason NFL football game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

2007: Tim Tebow | Quarterback | Florida Gators (9-4)

For anyone that says Lamar Jackson cannot win the Heisman because Louisville only won nine games, then you need to point them to Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators.

Florida finished the 2007 season 9-4 after losing to Michigan in the Capital One Bowl or what we know now as the Citrus Bowl.

Can you see even more of a comparison here?

Tim Tebow is one of the only quarterbacks in history that can compare to Jackson in rushing and passing touchdowns. Not to mention, some people call Tebow one of the greatest college football players of all-time.

Let that sink in for a minute.

Oct 15, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes helmet on the field during warmups prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

2006: Troy Smith | Quarterback | Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1)

Our last Heisman Trophy winner of this article also led his team to the National Championship game, but ended up losing to the Florida Gators. Other than beating the Michigan Wolverines by three, the Buckeyes destroyed everyone else that they played in 2006.

Here is what the Heisman Trophy’s website had to say about Smith:

“It was in 2006 that Smith came into his own, completing 67 percent of his passes for 2,507 yards and 30 touchdowns with just five interceptions while leading the Buckeyes to an undefeated regular season. He capped the year by receiving 86.7 percent of the Heisman vote, the second highest percentage in the history of the award.

Smith graduated from Ohio State with a bachelor’s degree in communications. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL draft (174th overall) by the Baltimore Ravens. He later played for the 49ers, the Steelers and in the CFL.”

Next: 25 greatest Louisville Football players from the past decade