Heisman Memorial Trophy Award winner Robert Griffin III of the Baylor Bears speaks at a press conference at The New York Marriott Marquis on December 10, 2011 in New York City.
Beating out longstanding favorite Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, Baylor’s junior QB Robert Griffin III — better known as RG3 — took the 77th Heisman trophy home to Waco, Texas. Griffin became the first ever winner from Baylor to bring home college football’s most coveted honor.
He holds 46 school records, and adoring Baylor fans are hoping he returns for more. But the Heisman winner had traditionally headed to the NFL, and Griffin might travel the same path. Taking a deep breath before his name was called, Griffin portrayed his disbelief at receiving the accolade. Perhaps it was his superstitious Superman socks talking, but the Baylor star seemed on top of the world as he gave his acceptance speech. “This is unbelievably believable,” he said. “It’s unbelievable because in the moment we’re all amazed when great things happen. But it’s believable because great things don’t happen without hard work.”
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But the 405 votes in his favor couldn’t paint a more definitive picture. Griffin’s tally was nearly double Andrew Luck’s 247 votes. Luck, with 1,407 total voting points, became the fourth player to be the runner-up for the Heisman in consecutive seasons. Luck last year finished second to Auburn’s Cam Newton. But the disappointment didn’t last long – Luck was the first to congratulate Griffin on his win.
While Luck played the odds-on favorite Heisman winner all season, his chances took a hit after his poor performance against Oregon on Nov. 12. Griffin, meanwhile, continued his hot streak, tossing for 320 yards and two touchdowns last week against the Texas Longhorns. Griffin helped bring the Baylor Bears from the butt of jokes to winners over longtime powerhouses Oklahoma and Texas this season.
Just as they did during their huge wins this year, “Everybody associated with Baylor has a reason to celebrate tonight,” Griffin said on stage. Stanford’s Luck took second, with Alabama running back Trent Richardson earning third place and Wisconsin Badgers’ running back Montee Ball garnering fourth. But the Baylor QB with Superman socks made his program soar above the rest this year. While he’s very likely an NFL prospect, Griffin has one more game remaining to show off his skills: the Alamo Bowl against Washington on December 29.
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