New on Sports Illustrated: How Many Heisman Trophy Winners Have Won the National Championship?

Will Joe Burrow be the next Heisman Trophy winner to capture the national championship in the same season?

2019 Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow and the LSU Tigers are headed to the College Football Playoff national championship after defeating Oklahoma 63–28 in the Peach Bowl.

Burrow threw for 493 yards and recorded eight touchdowns in the CFP semifinal game. For most of the regular season, he was the frontrunner to win the Heisman. The senior shattered single-season school records for passing touchdowns and yards while throwing just six interceptions during his rise from being an average Joe to becoming a potential No. 1 NFL draft pick.

An Ohio native, Burrow grew up dreaming of playing at Nebraska, who passed on him. The QB spent the first three seasons of his college career sitting on the bench at Ohio State before he decided to transfer to LSU as a redshirt junior. 

Will Burrow add to his dominant season and join the elite list of players who have won the Heisman Trophy and the national championship in the same season? Fourteen players have accomplished both feats. Check out the full list below:

1. Davey O’Brien, QB, TCU, 1938
2. Bruce Smith, RB, Minnesota, 1940
3. Angelo Bertelli, QB, Notre Dame, 1943
4. Felix 'Doc' Blanchard, FB, Army, 1945
5. John Lujack, QB, Notre Dame, 1947
6. Leon Hart, TE, Notre Dame, 1949
7. Tony Dorsett, RB, Pittsburgh, 1976
8. Charlie Ward, QB, Florida State, 1993
9. Danny Wuerffel, QB, Florida, 1996
10. Charles Woodson, CB, Michigan, 1997
11. Matt Leinart, QB, USC, 2004
12. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama, 2009
13. Cam Newton, QB, Auburn, 2010
14. Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State, 2013

December 29, 2019 at 06:31AM
How Many Heisman Trophy Winners Have Won the National Championship?