Derrick Henry Wins 2015 Heisman Trophy

The Heisman Trophy award was given to Alabama Crimson Tide junior running back Derrick Henry tonight.

It was the closest vote since 2009, when another Alabama running back, Mark Ingram, won the award. Runner-up Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey (1,539 points and 290 first-place votes) won the Deep West region while Watson (1,165 points on 148 first-place votes) was second in the Mid-Atlantic region. This year Watson had a 69.5 passing percentage. “We just waited for him to ask us”. This is a well-deserved win for Henry, seeing as he has accounted for 38 percent of Alabama’s offense this season.

“Joy, happiness and relief for him”, Ramsey said. Deshaun, with how consistent and efficient he is at the quarterback position, all the success he had, I was kind of anxious. He racked up 3,512 yards with 41 touchdowns and 163 carriers. Few did. Three of his four lowest rushing totals came against teams where the Tide were far superior and Henry saw less action – Middle Tennessee, Louisiana Monroe and Charleston Southern – so he did his major damage against better competition. “I mean, I want the ball”. Earlier in the day Saturday, Cardinal head coach David Shaw managed to sound both philosophical and disbelieving about the possibility that his player would not win the Heisman. It just defines how good he was that year. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. “It doesn’t change my attitude”. But Henry more than deserved the Heisman this year, and here are five key reasons why he did more than McCaffrey and all the others.

Quarterbacks had dominated the voting in recent years, winning 13 out of the last 15 times since the turn of the century.

Watson didn’t come away empty-handed this week. He also won the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, Maxwell Award and Doak Walker Award. This time last week, he was celebrating an ACC Championship with a pizza party.

Although there had been discussion that more players should have been in NY for Saturday night’s presentation, the final vote showed that it was truly a three-man race. He’ll likely be one of the front-runners in 2016.

The Heisman Memorial Trophy is presented each year to the most outstanding individual player in college football. Alabama will play in the Cotton Bowl as part of the four-team College Football Playoff on December 31.

Watson and the Tigers begin bowl practice Sunday. “People really remember how you finish”, Watson said.

I didn’t see him in person – he never played against the University of Alabama, and I grew up in Tuscaloosa – but I saw him on TV. “I look at (his) all the time and now I have something to look at with my name on it, and I’m so glad to bring Alabama its second Heisman Trophy”.