On Saturday night, not only will Manti Te'o try and make history by becoming the first primarily defensive player to take home the Heisman Trophy, but he is also looking to join an elite group of Notre Dame alums to win the award as well.
If Te'o were to win Saturday night, he would be the eighth player in the school's history to take home the Heisman and the first since Tim Brown in 1987. The others were Angelo Bertelli (1943), Johnny Lujack (1947), Leon Hart (1949), John Lattner (1953), Paul Hornung (1956), John Huarte (1964).
Te'o finished the 2012 season with seven interceptions (the second most in college football) to go along with 103 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. If he were to win the award, he would be the first ever player who strictly plays defense to take home the Heisman. Michigan defensive back Charles Woodson was the recipient in 1997, but he also played on offense and as a return man that season as well.
Te'o will be joined at Saturday night's ceremony by two other finalists: Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel and Collin Klein of Kansas State.
Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin won last year's award.
Here's the complete list of winners:
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Year |
Winner |
School |
Position |
Points |
|
1935 |
Jay Berwanger |
Chicago |
Halfback |
|
|
1936 |
Larry Kelley |
Yale |
End |
219 |
|
1937 |
Clint Frank |
Yale |
Halfback |
524 |
|
1938 |
Davey O'Brien |
TCU |
Quarterback |
519 |
|
1939 |
Nile Kinnick |
Iowa |
Halfback |
651 |
|
1940 |
Tom Harmon |
Michigan |
Halfback |
1303 |
|
1941 |
Bruce Smith |
Minnesota |
Halfback |
554 |
|
1942 |
Frank Sinkwich |
Georgia |
Halfback |
1059 |
|
1943 |
Angelo Bertelli |
Notre Dame |
Quarterback |
648 |
|
1944 |
Les Horvath |
Ohio State |
Quarterback/Halfback |
412 |
|
1945 |
Doc Blanchard |
Army |
Fullback |
860 |
|
1946 |
Glenn Davis |
Army |
Halfback |
792 |
|
1947 |
Johnny Lujack |
Notre Dame |
Quarterback |
742 |
|
1948 |
Doak Walker |
SMU |
Halfback |
778 |
|
1949 |
Leon Hart |
Notre Dame |
End |
995 |
|
1950 |
Vic Janowicz |
Ohio State |
Halfback/Punter |
633 |
|
1951 |
Dick Kazmaier |
Princeton |
Halfback |
1777 |
|
1952 |
Billy Vessels |
Oklahoma |
Halfback |
525 |
|
1953 |
Johnny Lattner |
Notre Dame |
Halfback |
1850 |
|
1954 |
Alan Ameche |
Wisconsin |
Fullback |
1068 |
|
1955 |
Howard Cassady |
Ohio State |
Halfback |
2219 |
|
1956 |
Paul Hornung |
Notre Dame |
Quarterback |
1066 |
|
1957 |
John David Crow |
Texas A&M |
Halfback |
1183 |
|
1958 |
Pete Dawkins |
Army |
Halfback |
1394 |
|
1959 |
Billy Cannon |
LSU |
Halfback |
1929 |
|
1960 |
Joe Bellino |
Navy |
Halfback |
1793 |
|
1961 |
Ernie Davis |
Syracuse |
Halfback/Linebacker/Fullback |
824 |
|
1962 |
Terry Baker |
Oregon State |
Quarterback |
707 |
|
1963 |
Roger Staubach |
Navy |
Quarterback |
1860 |
|
1964 |
John Huarte |
Notre Dame |
Quarterback |
1026 |
|
1965 |
Mike Garrett |
USC |
Halfback |
926 |
|
1966 |
Steve Spurrier |
Florida |
Quarterback |
1679 |
|
1967 |
Gary Beban |
UCLA |
Quarterback |
1968 |
|
1968 |
O.J. Simpson |
USC |
Halfback |
2853 |
|
1969 |
Steve Owens |
Oklahoma |
Fullback |
1488 |
|
1970 |
Jim Plunkett |
Stanford |
Quarterback |
2229 |
|
1971 |
Pat Sullivan |
Auburn |
Quarterback |
1597 |
|
1972 |
Johnny Rodgers |
Nebraska |
Running back |
1310 |
|
1973 |
John Cappelletti |
Penn State |
Running back |
1057 |
|
1974 |
Archie Griffin |
Ohio State |
Running back |
1920 |
|
1975 |
Archie Griffin |
Ohio State |
Running back |
1800 |
|
1976 |
Tony Dorsett |
Pittsburgh |
Running back |
2357 |
|
1977 |
Earl Campbell |
Texas |
Running back |
1547 |
|
1978 |
Billy Sims |
Oklahoma |
Running back |
1896 |
|
1979 |
Charles White |
USC |
Running back |
1695 |
|
1980 |
George Rogers |
South Carolina |
Running back |
1128 |
|
1981 |
Marcus Allen |
USC |
Running back |
1797 |
|
1982 |
Herschel Walker |
Georgia |
Running back |
1926 |
|
1983 |
Mike Rozier |
Nebraska |
Running back |
1801 |
|
1984 |
Doug Flutie |
Boston College |
Quarterback |
2240 |
|
1985 |
Bo Jackson |
Auburn |
Running back |
1509 |
|
1986 |
Vinny Testaverde |
Miami |
Quarterback |
2213 |
|
1987 |
Tim Brown |
Notre Dame |
Wide receiver |
1442 |
|
1988 |
Barry Sanders |
Oklahoma State |
Running back |
1878 |
|
1989 |
Andre Ware |
Houston |
Quarterback |
1073 |
|
1990 |
Ty Detmer |
BYU |
Quarterback |
1482 |
|
1991 |
Desmond Howard |
Michigan |
Wide receiver |
2077 |
|
1992 |
Gino Torretta |
Miami |
Quarterback |
1400 |
|
1993 |
Charlie Ward |
Florida State |
Quarterback |
1743 |
|
1994 |
Rashaan Salaam |
Colorado |
Running back |
1743 |
|
1995 |
Eddie George |
Ohio State |
Running back |
1460 |
|
1996 |
Danny Wuerffel |
Florida |
Quarterback |
1363 |
|
1997 |
Charles Woodson |
Michigan |
Cornerback |
1815 |
|
1998 |
Ricky Williams |
Texas |
Running back |
2355 |
|
1999 |
Ron Dayne |
Wisconsin |
Running back |
2042 |
|
2000 |
Chris Weinke |
Florida State |
Quarterback |
1628 |
|
2001 |
Eric Crouch |
Nebraska |
Quarterback |
770 |
|
2002 |
Carson Palmer |
USC |
Quarterback |
1328 |
|
2003 |
Jason White |
Oklahoma |
Quarterback |
1481 |
|
2004 |
Matt Leinart |
USC |
Quarterback |
1325 |
|
2005 |
Reggie Bush |
USC |
Running back |
2541 |
|
2006 |
Troy Smith |
Ohio State |
Quarterback |
2540 |
|
2007 |
Tim Tebow |
Florida |
Quarterback |
1957 |
|
2008 |
Sam Bradford |
Oklahoma |
Quarterback |
1726 |
|
2009 |
Mark Ingram, Jr. |
Alabama |
Running back |
1304 |
|
2010 |
Cam Newton |
Auburn |
Quarterback |
2263 |
|
2011 |
Robert Griffin III
|
Baylor |
Quarterback |
1687 |