RGIII: this year’s Heisman Trophy winner

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While many had Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck picked as the preseason favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, it was ultimately Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III who earned the votes and stole the show last Saturday in New York.

Griffin won the 77th Heisman Trophy as many concluded that he just might have been the best player in college football that displayed Heisman credentials both on and off the field. He beat out many other high profile players and cleared the way for himself as he became the first Baylor player to ever win the award.

“RG3″ swarmed in the votes as he took 405 total first place votes and received 1,687 total points. Luck finished as the runner-up, followed by Alabama running back Trent Richardson, Wisconsin tailback Montee Ball and LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu.

As a junior this season, Griffin seemingly rewrote the football record books and displayed all-around abilities that were unmatched. He led Baylor to an overall season record of 9-3, including 6-3 within the Big 12. At one point Griffin had his team within striking distance of a BCS bowl game.

Griffin’s season had many individual highlights as well, which included throwing two or more touchdowns in nine of 12 games played. RG3’s potential highlight of the year came in the spotlight as he made an unbelievable cross-field pass to lead Baylor to an upset win against conference rival Oklahoma.

Despite leading the nation in passer efficiency with a rating of 192.3 and throwing a career-high 36 touchdowns, Griffin didn’t do it with just his arm. He also did it on the ground with that of his ever so speedy feet.

While leading the Bears to a third place finish in the Big 12, Griffin tore it up on the ground, using his feet to find the endzone nine times. He finished the season with 161 rushing attempts for 644 yards and an average of 4.0 yards per carry.

Perhaps more importantly than his overall season statistics was Griffin’s ability to lead and turn around a Baylor team that just last season finished 7-6. He clearly was a well-deserving candidate, as he showed a high level of athleticism as well as a true level of leadership. He put the Bears on the college football map while serving as a modeled citizen.

As Griffin accepted the award he so humbly offered the following comment: “Everybody associated with Baylor has a reason to celebrate tonight.”

While there appears to be some level of uncertainty as to if RG3 will head for the NFL draft, one thing is for certain: Griffin deserved and won the 2011 Heisman Trophy.

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