Regeln » The oral history of the epic 1997 Heisman Trophy race

There was Tennessee QB Peyton Manning, who spurned NFL riches the year before to return to school to win an SEC title and throw for 3,819 yards and 36 touchdowns. There was Michigan's do-everything playmaker Charles Woodson, who dominated at cornerback but also excelled on special teams and offense for the unbeaten and top-ranked Wolverines. There was the relatively unknown wide receiver at Marshall making defenses look silly in Randy Moss. And there was big-armed Washington State QB Ryan Leaf, leading the Cougars to the Rose Bowl.

When Woodson edged Manning to become the first primarily defensive player to win the coveted award, it set off howls of protests in Knoxville, Tennessee. To this day, fans on all sides fiercely debate if the voters got it right.
After turning down millions of dollars to return to school for his senior season, Manning endeared himself forever to Tennessee fans and entered the 1997 season as the prohibitive Heisman favorite. But for everything Manning accomplished at Tennessee, it's who he didn't beat, fair or not, that hounded him for much of his college career. He was 0-3 against Florida as a starter, and even though
he was a 6-1 against Tennessee's other two big rivals (Alabama and Georgia), a 33-20 loss to the Gators -- highlighted by a Manning interception returned 89 yards for Andrew Sendejo Jersey a TD by Tony George -- in September 1997 was something many of the Heisman voters held against him and opened the door for somebody else to win it.
ennessee OL Trey Teague: No doubt he would have won it had we beaten Florida. And sometimes when you're out in front that much, you've got a media that creates something to talk about, something people will pick up and read about. The media, in my opinion, kind of fueled Woodson's candidacy, and obviously Michigan was undefeated. So it allowed people to feel OK about that vote. If anybody looks back on it and says they still feel good about it, they're either lying to themselves or such a Michigan or Big Ten person that they have blinders on.
George: Really, Peyton got screwed when he didn't beat E.J. Gaines Womens Jersey us for those four years. It's sort of a bittersweet moment for me, picking him off and returning it for a touchdown. You're like, "Yeah, I had something to do with it and maybe http://www.officialraptorsshop.com/authentic-15-vince-carter-jersey.html he did deserve it."
Florida coach Steve Spurrier: Yeah, we seemed to always beat them, and I'm sure that didn't help Womens Roberto Luongo Jersey him any. But I don't know. Tennessee went ahead and won the SEC that year. Sometimes, those Midwest guys ... maybe they just wanted a defensive back to win the thing. I can see why all those Vols are still mad http://www.nflbengalsofficial.com/Authentic-Anthony-Munoz-Jersey about it.
Woodson was a highlight waiting to happen in 1997, but his one-handed interception in the 23-7 win over No. 15 Michigan State was a play for the ages. It was a pass Spartans quarterback Todd Schultz was just trying to throw away after being pressured, but Woodson had other ideas with a leaping pick on the sideline, one of two interceptions on the day. If he wasn't already a legit Heisman contender, he was after that gem.
Then-Michigan State coach Nick Saban: I've been coaching for a long time in all the leagues -- NFL, Big Ten and SEC -- and he jumped up and made an interception that you never forget. It was one of those plays where you say, "How did he do that?" He was a phenomenal player. They used him on offense, and he was phenomenal. There are only a handful of players that you play against that really make a difference in a game, and even fewer on defense, but he did. It's harder to do on defense because you don't have the ball in your hands, but that guy did it in a lot of different ways.
Michigan coach Lloyd Carr: From that point on, he was on everybody's radar, if he already wasn't. It was a day game, and that interception was all over the highlights. All afternoon and all night, they were replaying that play. From that point on, he just picked up momentum.
Woodson: I had started to http://www.officialbluejaystore.com/authentic-29-joe-carter-jersey.html gain some momentum as far as people saying I was in the running and there was some buzz around me, but I think the one-handed catch against Michigan State was the moment when people finally decided I was a serious candidate for the Heisman Trophy.

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