Clemson Deshaun Watson Finishes Third For Heisman Trophy

No matter how the Crimson Tide’s season comes to a close, Henry will eventually be able to take pleasure in the fact he gets to stand alongside college football legends like Roger Staubach, Archie Griffin and Herschel Walker as a Heisman Trophy victor. “I’m just blessed to be in this position, to be in NY, and just be a part of this process”.

“He just put icing on the cake”, said tight end O.J. Howard, who witnessed those early pushup workouts as Henry’s roommate. What he did was just unbelievable.

“And Yulee, everybody’s really happy for me”. He’s the first Clemson finalist invited to NY, and being guaranteed no worse than third will record the highest finish by a Tiger. He is the only Heisman finalist in Clemson football history, but came in riding a wave of quarterback popularity.

KEY STAT: Set SEC record with with 1,986 yards rushing and had nation’s best 23 touchdowns.

KEY STAT: Only player in country who surpassed 800 yards rushing (887) and 3,500 yards passing (3,512).

Like Walker, Sanders was considered among the all-time greats in college football thanks to his terrific 1988 campaign with 3,250 total yards. The Tide faces Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl on December 31, trying to earn a fourth national championship in nine seasons under Saban.

Henry already has won the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp National Player of the Year and the Doak Walker Award, so the Heisman would ensure a sweep of the top college football honors. Recent winners like Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston started from farther back in the hype cycle but the favorite, Henry, didn’t fade.

The players Henry edged out had strong cases of their own, as well. “He’s a great player”.

“Long, long mornings. Long, long nights”, Watson said. “I want the ball”. He had 38 carries for 210 yards and three touchdowns. What else do you want from him? I think I can do anything. Deshaun, with how consistent and efficient he is at the quarterback position, all the success he had, I was kind of anxious.

It wasn’t an easy pick – the other finalists certainly made it hard for us, no doubt – but his 44-carry, 189-yard performance against Florida in the SEC Championship Game was enough evidence to give us a reason to nominate him as the victor of the game’s most prestigious hardware. “And then once he sees it, he takes off. He’s as good with that – setting the blocks up and bursting through it – as anybody I’ve seen”. My main focus is on finishing… “I’m going to do whatever it takes to help this team win. When he got it, he called mom and said, ‘we’re going, get ready'”.

Action Sports Jax Brent Martineau will be the only local reporter in New York City Saturday with reactions before and after the Heisman victor is announced.