Heisman heads back to bayou
By a landslide, Joe Burrow is second LSU player to earn award.
NEW YORK — Joe Burrow, whose name appeared only in the afterthought cellars of the Heisman Trophy odds lists of last summer, won the Heisman by a landslide on Saturday night, epitomizing a Louisiana State football season dazzling enough to be dizzying.
Burrow not only became the fourth straight quarterback to win the award and the 17th in the past 20 presentations. He is also the second Heisman Trophy winner from the football-adoring community of LSU, following by 60 years upon the late and storied Billy Cannon in 1959.
Burrow received 2,608 points and 841 first-place votes, a record 90.7 percent of all the first-place votes available. Burrow also set a record for percentage of points available received with 93.8, breaking the mark set by Troy Smith of Ohio State in 2006. Burrow was named on 95.5 percent of all ballots, breaking the record of 95.2 percent set by Oregon’s Marcus Mariota in 2014.
Burrow’s margin of victory of 1,846 broke the record of 1,750 set by O.J. Simpson of Southern California in 1968.
Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts was second with 762 points. Quarterback Justin Fields of Ohio State was third and defensive end Chase Young of Ohio State was fourth.
Burrow’s victory was a foregone conclusion, but after he was announced as the winner it still overwhelmed him.
“That’s the most I’ve cried in 23 years of living,” Burrow said.
After hugging his parents and coaches, Burrow made his way to
the stage inside the PlayStation Theater in Times Square. He started his acceptance speech, stopped and took 23 seconds to compose himself before rattling off the names of LSU’s other offensive players.
“All my teammates have supported me, welcomed me with open arms. Kid from Ohio, come down to the Bayou, and welcomed me as brothers,” Burrow said, with about two dozen former Heisman
winners standing behind him on stage.
“What a special moment,” LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. “I thought Joe handled everything first class. It’s the first time I’ve seen him get that emotional.”
On the various Heisman-prospect lists of August, he routinely appeared below not only the favorites Tua Tagovailoa of Alabama and Trevor Lawrence of Clemson, but other quarterbacks such as Nebraska’s
Adrian Martinez, Oregon’s Justin Herbert, Texas’ Sam Ehlinger, Michigan’s Shea Patterson and Georgia’s Jake Fromm, as well as Ohio State’s Justin Fields and Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts, the two quarterbacks who joined Chase Young, Ohio State’s defensive Hercules, as Heisman finalists alongside Burrow.
Orgeron and its offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger installed a spread offense and welcomed passing coordinator Joe Brady, then 29 and fresh off two seasons with the New Orleans Saints. By late summer, as LSU began its soar to 13-0 and its first College Football Playoff, the Tigers’ definition, energy and statistics had changed.
A passing game that finished No. 116 in 2014, No. 106 in 2015, No. 101 in 2016, No. 84 in 2017 and No. 67 in 2018 sprang to No. 2 in 2019, largely through the mastery Burrow left strewn across storied American fields such as Texas, Alabama and Atlanta (against Georgia, in the Southeastern Conference championship game). Receiving yards went to talents like Ja’Marr Chase (1,498) and Justin Jefferson (1,207)
From 2,894 passing yards in 13 games in 2018, Burrow ascended to 4,715 in 13 games so far in 2019. He threw 48 touchdown passes against six interceptions. His rating (201.47) placed him second in the country (behind Tagovailoa), and his yardage per game (362.7) placed him second behind Washington State’s Anthony Gordon. He went 31 of 39 at both Texas and Alabama, and 21 of 24 against Florida, 32 of 42 against Auburn, 23 of 32 against Texas A&M. He got a ride on his teammates’ shoulders after the 46-41 win at Alabama.
By Dec. 7, Orgeron said: “I remember his first day coming here, we were running 110s. I don’t know how many there were, 16, and he won every one. The next day he did it again, and the next day he did it again. He kept his mouth shut and worked hard, and eventually he took over this football team. This is his team, and the reason it’s his team, it’s because he’s earned their respect. I’ve got to give it to Joe. Joe’s quiet, doesn’t say much. He leads by his actions . . . The whole team, everybody in the organization, believes in Joe.”