Who is the Heisman Memorial Trophy named after? What to know about career of John Heisman.
The Heisman Memorial Trophy is given annually to the best college football player in the nation, recognized by its distinct bust of a player carrying a ball while delivering a stiff arm.
Still, many outside the football world might not know who the award is named after or his contributions to the sport.
John Heisman, who played guard, center and tackle at the University of Pennsylvania, championed many things that are now commonplace in the sport, including the forward pass, cutting the game into quarters, the center-quarterback snap, the scoreboard concept, and saying, "hike" to start an offensive play.
Who is the Heisman Trophy named after?
The trophy is named after John W. Heisman, a former Georgia Tech head coach whose teams dominated offensively for the better part of two decades in the early 20th century. He coached the biggest rout in college football history, a 222-0 drubbing of Cumberland College in 1916.
Before arriving at Georgia Tech, Heisman coached at Auburn, Clemson, Penn, Washington & Jefferson and Rice. He compiled a 102–29–7 record with the Yellow Jackets from 1904-1919 before returning to his alma mater, Penn, where he received his law degree for the 1920 season.
He retired in 1927 with a career record of 185–70–17. He became the first Athletic Director of the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City, where he created a system to help select the best college football player east of the Mississippi River.
In 1935, the first trophy, called the Downtown Athletic Club Award, was awarded to University of Chicago halfback Jay Berwanger,
Heisman died of pneumonia on Oct. 3, 1936, at age 66, and two months later, the trophy was renamed the Heisman Memorial Trophy, which included voting for players from all over the United States.
How to watch the 2024 Heisman Trophy ceremony
The 2024 Heisman Trophy ceremony will air on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 14. It can be streamed on ESPN+.
Who are the 2024 Heisman Trophy finalists?
This year's Heisman finalists are as follows:
Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel
Colorado WR/DB Travis Hunter
Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty
Miami QB Cam Ward
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Heisman Trophy named after? What to know about John Heisman
