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1970 Jim Plunkett - Stanford

Plunkett, the most celebrated player in Stanford history, won his school’s first Heisman after leading the Indians to an 8-3 record and a Rose Bowl berth.

A native of San Jose, Calif., Plunkett graduated from Lick High in 1967, where he was a star athlete who competed in football, basketball, baseball, track and wrestling. He chose to play for Stanford in part because he wanted to stay close to his parents, both of whom were blind.

Plunkett’s Stanford career nearly ended before it began. A month before his enrollment, Plunkett was told by doctors that the lump he had felt at the base of his neck was cancerous. Surgery was required to remove a malignant tumor that would end his football playing days. However, the tumor turned out to be benign and Plunkett was given a clean bill of health.

He responded by throwing for 2,156 yards and 14 touchdowns as a 1968 sophomore before adding 2,673 yards and 20 scores as a

1969 junior, helping him to finish eighth in that year’s Heisman vote.Despite his strong first two seasons, Plunkett was a long-shot Heisman candidate compared to the other favorites: quarterbacks Archie Manning of Mississippi and Joe Theismann of Notre Dame.

But Plunkett had a huge senior year, passing for 2,715 yards and 19 touchdowns as upstart Stanford won the Pac-8 title. When the Heisman vote was announced, Plunkett had won by a wide margin.

Plunkett capped his college career by leading Stanford to a 27-17 victory over undefeated No. 1 Ohio State in the 1971 Rose Bowl. 

Plunkett was selected by the New England Patriots as the number one overall draft choice in 1971. He was traded in 1976 to the 49ers, and in 1980, joined the Oakland Raiders and quarterbacked them to two Super Bowl wins in 1980 and 1983, and was named the MVP of the 1980 match-up.

Jim Plunkett was elected to the College Hall of Fame in 1990.

James William Plunkett (December 5, 1947)

9/12/1970 at Arkansas (full ticket)
(W 34-28)

9/26/1970 at Oregon
(W 33-10)

10/10/1970 vs. U.S.C.
(W 24-14)

10/21/1970 at U.C.L.A (full ticket)
(W 9-7)

11/7/1970 vs. Washington
(W 29-22)

9/19/1970 vs. San Jose State
(W 34-3)

10/3/1970 vs. Purdue
(L 14-26)

10/17/1970 at Washington State
(W 63-16)

10/31/1970 vs. Oregon State
(W 48-10)

11/17/1970 at Air Force
(L 14-31)

11/21/1970 at California
(L 14-22)

12/3/1970 Heisman Trophy Presentation (full ticket)

1971 Pat Sullivan - Auburn

Pat Sullivan won Auburn’s first Heisman in 1971 after setting several school and SEC records while guiding the Tigers to a 9-1 regular season record.

Sullivan was born in Birmingham, Ala., where he attended John Carroll Catholic High School and was a star in three sports. He excelled in football and won an athletic scholarship to Auburn in 1968, where he took over the starting quarterback spot as a sophomore (freshmen were not eligible prior to 1972).

He burst onto the college football scene in 1969, throwing for nearly 1,700 yards and 16 touchdowns. As a junior, Sullivan’s statistics soared, as he led the nation with 2,856 yards of total offense, including 2,586 passing yards. Along the way, Auburn went 9-2 and ended the season in the Top Ten in the nation. For his efforts, Sullivan was named SEC Player of the Year and garnered All-SEC honors, athletically and academically.

But 1971 was to be Sullivan’s greatest year. The Tigers started out 9-0, cementing his claim to the Heisman with 248 yards and four touchdowns against Georgia. He threw for 2,012 yards and 20 touchdowns, edging out Cornell running back Ed Marinaro to capture the trophy named for Auburn’s former football coach. He was once again honored as SEC Player of the Year and was All-SEC athletically and academically for the second straight year.

Selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 1972 NFL draft, Sullivan had four seasons with the Falcons followed by one season split between the Washington Redskins and the San Francisco 49ers. For five years, he worked as a radio color commentator for Auburn and, in 1986, was named quarterbacks coach for the Tigers. Auburn won three SEC titles during Sullivan’s six seasons at his alma mater.

Pat Sullivan was elected to the College Hall of Fame in 1991.

Patrick Joseph Sullivan (January 18, 1950 - December 1, 2019)

9/18/1971 vs. U. T. Chattanooga
(W 60-7)

9/25/1971 at Tennessee
(W 10-9)

10/2/1971 vs. Kentucky
(W 38-6)

10/9/1971 vs. Southern Mississippi
(W 27-14)

10/16/1971 at Georgia Tech
(W 31-14)

10/30/1971 vs. Florida
(W 40-7)

10/23/1971 vs. Clemson
(W 35-13)

11/6/1971 vs. Mississippi State
(W 30-21)

11/13/1971 at Georgia
(W 35-20)

11/27/1971 vs. Alabama (full student ticket)
(L 7-31)

1971 Faculty Season Ticket

1972 Johnny Rodgers - Nebraska

Johnny “The Jet” Rodgers helped the Huskers win the first two national titles in school history in 1970 and 1971, before becoming Nebraska’s first Heisman winner in 1972.

The 5-10, 180-pound Rodgers was born in Omaha, Neb., where he was an all-city and all-state player for Tech High. He signed with Nebraska and quickly made an impact player as a receiver, rusher and return man.

In 1970, Rodgers caught 39 passes for 710 yards and seven scores as Nebraska won the first of two-straight national titles. His 72-yard punt return for a touchdown ignited the Huskers’ thrilling 35-31 victory over Oklahoma in the so-called Game of the Century in 1971.

As a senior, Rodgers piled up 1,978 all-purpose yards, with 54 catches for 919 yards, and scored 17 touchdowns as Nebraska went 8-2-1 and clinched a berth in the Orange Bowl. He won the Heisman, too, becoming the first wide receiver to win the award.

A two-time All-American as a wingback, Rodgers was one of the top punt returners in college football history, racing to 1,515 career punt return yards and seven regular-season touchdowns. He added 847 yards and one score as a kickoff returner, and 745 career rushing yards with 11 touchdowns.

After winning his Heisman Trophy, Rodgers put his all-around game on display in a 40-6 win over Notre Dame in the 1973 Orange Bowl. Rodgers had a hand in all five of Nebraska’s touchdowns against the Fighting Irish, rushing for three touchdowns, while adding one touchdown reception. He pitched in a 52-yard pass to Frosty Anderson for another score.

Rodgers played for the Montreal Alouettes where he was named “Rookie of the Year” in 1973 and was All-Pro in 1974, ’75, and ’76. He also had a career with the San Diego Chargers. Rodgers, the “Husker Player of the Century,” was elected to the College Hall of Fame in 1999.

Johnny Steven Rodgers (July 5, 1951)

9/16/1972 vs. Texas A&M
(W 37-7)

9/9/1972 at U.C.L.A. (full ticket)
(L 17-20)

9/23/1972 at Army
(W 77-7)

10/14/1972 vs. Missouri
(W 62-0)

10/28/1972 vs. Oklahoma State
(W 34-0)

9/30/1972 vs. Minnesota
(W 49-0)

10/21/1972 at Kansas
(W 56-0)

11/4/1972 at Colorado
(W 33-10)

11/11/1972 at Iowa State
(T 23-23)

11/18/1972 vs. Kansas State (full ticket)
(W 59-7)

11/23/1972 vs. Oklahoma
(L 14-17)

1973 John Cappelletti - Penn State

Cappelletti won Penn State’s first Heisman by helping the Nittany Lions to a perfect 12-0 season and No. 5 ranking in both of the major polls.

Cappelletti was born in Upper Darby, Penn., where he attended and played football for Monsignor Bonner High School. In 1969, he was selected first team All-Catholic and All-Delaware County. He signed with Penn State in 1970.

He played defensive back as a freshman and sophomore, but quickly showed his flair as a playmaker upon being switched to running back as a junior. He rushed for 1,117 yards and 12 touchdowns in 1972 as the Lions finished 10-2 and ranked 10th in the nation.

In 1973, Cappelletti was a consensus All-American, rushing for 1,522 yards and 17 touchdowns. He put together three straight 200-yard rushing games in the final month of the season, including a high of 220 against

North Carolina State, on his way to winning the Heisman.

His acceptance speech at the Heisman Dinner (with Vice President Gerald Ford next to him on the dais) was considered the most moving ever given at these ceremonies, as he honored his brother, Joey, a victim of leukemia.

Cappelletti also received the Maxwell Trophy and was selected as Player-of-the-Year by ABC-TV, United Press International, the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association, the Walter Camp Foundation and the Washington Touchdown Club.

A first-round draft choice of the National Football League Los Angeles Rams in the 1974 draft (11th pick overall), Cappelletti played 10 seasons in the professional ranks, six in Los Angeles and four with the San Diego Chargers.

Cappelletti was inducted into the  College Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

John Raymond Cappelletti (August 9, 1952)

9/22/1973 at Navy
(W 39-0)

9/15/1973 at Stanford
(W 20-6)

9/29/1973 vs. Iowa
(W 27-8)

10/13/1973 vs. Army
(W 54-3)

10/27/1973 vs. West Virginia
(W 62-14)

11/3/1973 at Maryland 
(W 42-22)

11/17/1973 vs. Ohio University
(W 49-10)

10/6/1973 at Air Force
(W 19-9)

10/20/1973 at Syracuse (press ticket)
(W 49-6)

11/3/1973 at Maryland (temporary stands ticket)
(W 42-22)

11/10/1973 vs. North Carolina State
(W 35-29)

11/24/1973 vs. Pittsburgh
(W 35-13)

11/24/1973 vs. Pittsburgh (childs ticket)
(W 35-13)

1974 Archie Griffin - Ohio State

In 1974, Griffin led Ohio State to a 10-1 record and a No. 3 national ranking on his way to winning the first of two Heisman Trophies.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, Griffin rushed for 1,787 yards and scored over 170 points in 11 games, including 29 touchdowns, as a senior fullback at Eastmoor High in Columbus in 1971. That year he led Eastmoor to the Columbus City League championship, rushing for 267 yards on 31 carries in the title game against Linden-McKinley High School.

Griffin signed with Ohio State and was the Buckeyes’ starting tailback for four years, leading Ohio State to a 40-5-1 record and four Big Ten titles between 1972 and 1975. He started in four-consecutive Rose Bowls, the only player ever to do so, and was a three-time first-team All-American. He finished his freshman year with 867 yards and followed that up with 1,577 yards as a sophmore. As a junior, he rushed for a career-best 1,620 yards and 12 touchdowns to win the Heisman, becoming the fourth Buckeye to do so.

Archie Mason Griffin (August 21, 1954)

Excluding bowl games, Griffin rushed for 5,177 yards on 845 carries. The former figure ranks him fifth among all NCAA career ball carriers. Between his sophomore and senior seasons, Griffin ran for 100 or more yards in 31 consecutive regular-season games, still an NCAA record.

In addition to two Heisman Trophies, Griffin also has a pair of Silver Footballs. The latter award is presented annually by the Chicago Tribune to the Big Ten’s MVP. He is one of just three players to win that award twice.

Following his senior year, Griffin, who graduated a quarter early with a degree in industrial relations, received the NCAA’s prestigious Top Five Award for combined excellence in athletics, academics and leadership. It is the highest award the NCAA can bestow. 

After graduation, Griffin was a first-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Bengals. He played eight years of professional football, before returning to Columbus and joining the staff at Ohio State.

9/14/1974 at Minnesota (full proof ticket)
(ticket stub still wanted)
(W 34-19)

9/21/1974 vs. Oregon State (full ticket)
(W 51-10)

9/28/1974 vs. Southern Methodist (full ticket)
(W 28-9)

10/5/1974 at Washington State
(W 42-7)

10/12/1974 vs. Wisconsin (full ticket)
(W 52-7)

10/26/1974 at Northwestern
(W 55-7)

11/9/1974 at Michigan State
(L 13-16)

10/19/1974 vs. Indiana
(W 49-9)

11/2/1974 vs. Illinois (full ticket)
(W 49-7)

11/16/1974 at Iowa
(W 35-10)

11/26/1974 vs. Michigan
(W 12-10)

1975 Archie Griffin - Ohio State

Archie Mason Griffin (August 21, 1954)

In 1975, Griffin became the first player ever to win a second Heisman. Twenty-eight years later he is still the only player to have two of the coveted bronze statues, which go annually to the nation’s top college football player.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, Griffin rushed for 1,787 yards and scored over 170 points in 11 games, including 29 touchdowns, as a senior fullback at Eastmoor High in Columbus in 1971. That year he led Eastmoor to the Columbus City League championship, rushing for 267 yards on 31 carries in the title game against Linden-McKinley High School.

Griffin signed with Ohio State and was the Buckeyes’ starting tailback for four years, leading Ohio State to a 40-5-1 record and four Big Ten titles between 1972 and 1975. He started in four-consecutive Rose Bowls, the only player ever to do so, and was a three-time first-team All-American. At 5-9 and 180 pounds, Griffin was small by college football standards even then, but he played with the heart of a lion and no football accomplishment was beyond his reach.

 

In just the second game of his freshman year, Griffin ran for a school record 239 yards. It was the start of a brilliant career that would see him amass an OSU record 5,589 yards and 26 touchdowns.

He finished his freshman year with 867 yards and followed that up with 1,577 yards as a sophmore. As a junior, he rushed for a career-best 1,620 yards and 12 touchdowns to win the Heisman, becoming the fourth Buckeye to do so.

Griffin rushed for 1,357 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior, leading Ohio State to an 11-0 record, a No. 1 ranking and a Big Ten title. He was awarded his second Heisman, beating out Chuck Muncie and Ricky Bell. In addition to two Heisman Trophies,Griffin also was a two-time pick as National Player of the Year by both United Press International and the Walter Camp Foundation .  

Griffin’s No. 45 was retired at halftime of the Ohio State vs. Penn State game on Oct. 30, 1999. He was elected to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1986.

9/13/1975 at Michigan State
(W 21-0)

9/20/1975 vs, Penn State
(W 17-9)

9/27/1975 vs. North Carolina
(W 32-7)

10/4/1975 at U.C.L.A.
(W 41-20)

10/11/1975 vs. Iowa
(W 49-0)

10/18/1975 vs. Wisconsin
(W 56-0)

10/25/1975 vs. Purdue (full ticket)
(W 35-6)

11/1/1975 vs. Indiana
(W 24-14)

11/15/1975 vs. Minnesota
(W 38-6)

11/8/1975 at Illinois
(W 40-3)

11/22/1975 at Michigan
(W 21-14)

1976 Tony Dorsett - Pittsburgh

The 5-10, 175-pounder grew up in Aliquippa, Penn., near Pittsburgh. He attended Hopewell High School, where he played football and basketball. He was named all-state as a 1972 senior after rushing for 1,238 yards and was highly-sought after by schools from around the country. He decided to stay close to home and play for Pittsburgh after Notre Dame head coach Ara Parseghian said he was ‘too small’ to play for him.

As a freshman in 1973, Dorsett rushed for 1,586 yards, the most ever by a college freshman, while recording the first 1,000-yard season in Pitt history. He helped lead Pitt to a surprising 6-4-1 regular season and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl.

In only his 15th game, early in his sophomore season, he broke Marshall Goldberg’s Pitt career rushing record of 1,957 yards. He rushed for 1,004 yards as a sophomore.

As a junior in 1975, he rushed for 1,544 yards in the regular season, including a memorable 303-yard performance against Notre Dame.

Anthony Drew Dorsett Sr. (April 7, 1954)

In the final seven games of his senior season, as Pitt was charging toward the national championship, he averaged 215 yards rushing per game en route to leading the nation in rushing with 1,948 yards. Having finished fourth in the Heisman balloting as a junior in 1975, Dorsett became Pitt’s first Heisman Trophy winner in 1976. He earned 701 of a possible 842 first-place votes for an overall total of 2,357 points, finishing far ahead of second-place finisher Ricky Bell of USC (1,346 points). He was the first major college back to compile four 1,000-yard seasons. He became the first freshman consensus All-American since 1944 and was the first sophomore ever named to the Playboy All-America team. 

Dorsett was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 1977 NFL Draft..

He became the first player in football history to win the Heisman, a college national championship and a Super Bowl He received Hall of Fame enshrinement on both the college and professional levels in 1994.

9/11/1976 at Notre Dame
(W 31-10)

9/18/1979 at Georgia Tech
(W 42-14)

9/25/1976 vs. Temple (student ticket)
(W 21-7)

10/2/1976 at Duke
(W 44-31)

10/9/1976 vs. Louisville
(W 27-6)

10/16/1976 vs. Miami (comp ticket)
(W 36-19)

10/30/1976 vs. Syracuse
(W 23-13)

11/13/1976 vs. West Virginia
(W 24-16)

10/16/1976 vs. Miami
(W 36-19)

10/23/1976 at Navy
(W 45-0)

11/6/1976 vs. Army
(W 37-7)

11/26/1976 at Penn State
(W 24-7)

1977 Earl Campbell - Texas

Earl Campbell became the first Texas Longhorn to win the Heisman after leading his team to an undefeated regular season in 1977.

The famed “Tyler Rose”, will always have a special place in The University of Texas and state of Texas football history. Born March 29, 1955, in Tyler, Campbell was the fifth of 11 children raised by Ann Campbell. Two of his six brothers, Tim and Steve, joined him as Longhorns.

Campbell was an instant success at Texas, starting at fullback in the Longhorns “Wishbone” attack and rushing for 928 yards and six touchdowns as a freshman in 1974. He claimed the first of his three consensus All-SWC honors that year. As a sophomore, Campbell ran for 1,118 yards and 13 touchdowns, earning his first of two consensus All-America awards. He helped lead Texas to a 10-2 record that year and UT finished the year ranked sixth nationally in the final Associated Press poll.

Earl Christian Campbell (March 29, 1955)

Injuries dampened the glitter on Campbell’s career in 1976, as he missed four games with a pulled hamstring and the Longhorns struggled to a 5-5-1 mark. Campbell, playing on a strained hamstring much of the time, posted a career-low 653 rushing yards and three touchdowns. 

But Campbell galloped into UT football history with his Heisman Trophy-winning 1977 season. He rushed for 1,744 yards and 19 touchdowns while leading the nation in rushing and scoring. The Longhorns held the nation’s top spot for most of the regular season and went on to finish 11-0 before falling to Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl. 

After his star-studded collegiate career, Campbell took his talents to the NFL where he was selected No. 1 overall by the Houston Oilers in 1978. His eight-year career culminated with election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.

Earl Campbell was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990.

9/10/1977 vs. Boston College
(W 44-0)

9/17/1977 vs. Virginia
(W 68-0)

10/1/1977 vs. Rice
(W 72-15)

10/8/1977 vs. Oklahoma
(Red River Shootout - Cotton Bowl)
(W 13-6)

10/15/1977 at Arkansas
(W 13-9)

10/22/1977 at S.M.U.
(W 30-14)

10/29/1977 vs. Texas Tech
(W 26-0)

11/5/1977 at Houston
(W 35-21)

11/12/1977 vs. Texas Christian
(W 44-14)

11/19/1977 vs. Baylor
(W 29-7)

11/26/1977 at Texas A&M
(W 57-28)

12/8/1977 Heisman Trophy Presentation

1978 Billy Sims - Oklahoma

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Sims moved to Hooks, Texas, in the eighth grade to live with his grandmother. Sims initially played baseball and grew up a St. Louis Cardinals fan and showed little interest in football. In three years of varsity football at Hooks High, however, he rushed for 7,738 yards. Sims currently holds the Texas state record for most consecutive games with 100 yards or more, 38 from 1972–1974.

Sims signed with Oklahoma and received playing time as a freshman in 1975, rushing for 95 yards, but ankle injuries slowed his progress and ultimately resulted in a medical redshirt for the 1976 season. He had 413 yards and six touchdowns as a 1977 sophomore while still recovering from his ailments. Finally healthy in 1978, Sims swept through defenses like a tornado flying across the Oklahoma landscape.

The 6-0, 205-pounder set a Big Eight single-season rushing record in 1978 with 1,762 yards. Sims led the nation in rushing, averaging more than 7.0 yards per carry, and scored 20 touchdowns.

Billy Ray Sims (September 18, 1955)

He topped the 200-yard mark in four different games (a school best) and guided the Sooners to a 10-1 regular season record and a No. 4 ranking in the polls. As a result, he was awarded the Heisman over Chuck Fusina of Penn State (though Fusina did collect more first-place votes). 

At the beginning of the 1979 football season he was the co-favorite with USC’s Charles White to win the Heisman. Sims rushed for 1,506 yards in 1979, but 529 of them came in the last two regular-season games against Missouri and Nebraska. By this late in the season most of the ballots for the Heisman were cast, and White collected the trophy, with Sims placing second (making him one of only six players to win a Heisman and finish as a runner up). With the first selection in the 1980 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions selected Sims, who rushed for 1,303 yards to earn Rookie of the Year honors the following fall. 

Billy Sims was elected to the  College Football Hall of Fame in 1995.

9/9/1978 at Stanford
(W 35-29)

9/16/1978 vs. West Virginia
(W 52-10)

9/23/1978 vs. Rice
(W 66-7)

10/14/1978 at Kansas
(W 17-16)

11/4/1978 at Colorado
(W 28-7)

10/7/1978 vs. Oklahoma
(Red River Shootout - Cotton Bowl)
(W 31-10)

9/30/1978 vs. Missouri
(W 45-23)

10/21/1978 at Iowa State
(W 34-6)

10/28/1978 vs. Kansas State
(W 56-19)

11/11/1978 at Nebraska
(L 14-17)

11/18/1978 vs. Oklahoma State
(W 62-7)

1979 Charles White - USC

White signed with USC in the spring of 1976 and made an immediate impact as a true freshman the following fall, rushing for a school freshman-record 858 yards and 10 touchdowns as the oft-used backup to Heisman runner up and first-pick-in-the-draft Ricky Bell.

As a sophomore, White took over the starting tailback spot and gained 1,478 yards. He improved greatly as a junior, earning All-American honors while rushing for 1,760 yards and 13 touchdowns as the Trojans finished 12-1 and won a share of the national title.

White entered the 1979 season as one of the Heisman front runners and he did not disappoint. Despite missing about a game-and-a-half due to injury, he led the nation in rushing with 1,803 yards and 18 touchdowns as the Trojans finished 10-0-1 on the year. He tallied four 200-yard efforts during the regular season and had three more game where he rushed for at least 185. In the last 10 games of

the season, he averaged 201 yards per game. As a result, the 5-10, 190-pounder won the Heisman handily over returning Heisman winner Billy Sims of Oklahoma.

White then capped his season with one of the great performances in bowl history, rushing for 247 yards on 39 carries in a dramatic 17-16 victory over Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. His diving touchdown with 1:32 to play was the deciding score.

In his regular season career, White rushed for 5,598 yards and scored 53 touchdowns. The 1978 and 1979 Rose Bowl Player of the Game, he is a member of the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. 

White graduated with a degree in Speech Communications. Drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 1980 with the 27th pick of the first round, he also played for the LA Rams, for whom he won the NFL rushing title in 1987.

White was elected to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1996.

Charles Raymond White (January 22, 1958 - January 11, 2023)

9/8/1979 at Texas Tech
(W 21-7)

9/15/1979 at Oregon State
(W 42-5)

9/22/1979 vs. Minnesota
(W 48-14)

9/29/1979 at L.S.U.
(W 17-12)

10/6/1979 vs. Washington State
(W 50-21)

10/13/1979 vs. Stanford
(T 21-21)

10/20/1979 at Notre Dame
(W 42-23)

10/27/1979 at California
(W 24-14)

11/3/1979 vs. Arizona
(W 34-7)

11/10/1979 at Washington
(W 24-17)

11/24/1979 vs. U.C.L.A.
(W 49-14)

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