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The Heisman Memorial Trophy, awarded to the most outstanding player in college football, represents way more than just a piece of bronze, as it is a lif-time testament of athletic brilliance for young prospects. Since 1935, this award has been witness of the evolution of the sport, honoring a wide range of different positions who delivered seasons of hisotrical excellence.
Here we bring you the full list of every Heisman Trophy winner, detailing the year, the player, their position, and the college that put their name into football history:
Heisman Winners: The complete list (1935-2024)
- 1935 - Jay Berwanger, HB (Chicago)
- 1936 - Larry Kelley, E (Yale)
- 1937 - Clint Frank, HB (Yale)
- 1938 - Davey O'Brien, QB (TCU)
- 1939 - Nile Kinnick, HB (Iowa)
- 1940 - Tom Harmon, HB (Michigan)
- 1941 - Bruce Smith, HB (Minnesota)
- 1942 - Frank Sinkwich, HB (Georgia)
- 1943 - Angelo Bertelli, QB (Notre Dame)
- 1944 - Les Horvath, HB/QB (Ohio State)
- 1945 - Doc Blanchard, FB (Army)
- 1946 - Glenn Davis, HB (Army)
- 1947 - Johnny Lujack, QB (Notre Dame)
- 1948 - Doak Walker, HB (SMU)
- 1949 - Leon Hart, E/TE (Notre Dame)
- 1950 - Vic Janowicz, HB (Ohio State)
- 1951 - Dick Kazmaier, HB (Princeton)
- 1952 - Billy Vessels, HB (Oklahoma)
- 1953 - John Lattner, HB (Notre Dame)
- 1954 - Alan Ameche, FB (Wisconsin)
- 1955 - Howard Cassady, HB (Ohio State)
- 1956 - Paul Hornung, QB (Notre Dame)
- 1957 - John David Crow, HB (Texas A&M)
- 1958 - Pete Dawkins, HB (Army)
- 1959 - Billy Cannon, HB (LSU)
- 1960 - Joe Bellino, HB (Navy)
- 1961 - Ernie Davis, HB (Syracuse)
- 1962 - Terry Baker, QB (Oregon State)
- 1963 - Roger Staubach, QB (Navy)
- 1964 - John Huarte, QB (Notre Dame)
- 1965 - Mike Garrett, HB (USC)
- 1966 - Steve Spurrier, QB (Florida)
- 1967 - Gary Beban, QB (UCLA)
- 1968 - O.J. Simpson, HB (USC)
- 1969 - Steve Owens, RB (Oklahoma)
- 1970 - Jim Plunkett, QB (Stanford)
- 1971 - Pat Sullivan, QB (Auburn)
- 1972 - Johnny Rodgers, WR/RB (Nebraska)
- 1973 - John Cappelletti, RB (Penn State)
- 1974 - Archie Griffin, RB (Ohio State)
- 1975 - Archie Griffin, RB (Ohio State)
- 1976 - Tony Dorsett, RB (Pittsburgh)
- 1977 - Earl Campbell, RB (Texas)
- 1978 - Billy Sims, RB (Oklahoma)
- 1979 - Charles White, RB (USC)
- 1980 - George Rogers, RB (South Carolina)
- 1981 - Marcus Allen, RB (USC)
- 1982 - Herschel Walker, RB (Georgia)
- 1983 - Mike Rozier, RB (Nebraska)
- 1984 - Doug Flutie, QB (Boston College)
- 1985 - Bo Jackson, RB (Auburn)
- 1986 - Vinny Testaverde, QB (Miami (FL))
- 1987 - Tim Brown, WR (Notre Dame)
- 1988 - Barry Sanders, RB (Oklahoma State)
- 1989 - Andre Ware, QB (Houston)
- 1990 - Ty Detmer, QB (BYU)
- 1991 - Desmond Howard, WR (Michigan)
- 1992 - Gino Torretta, QB (Miami (FL))
- 1993 - Charlie Ward, QB (Florida State)
- 1994 - Rashaan Salaam, RB (Colorado)
- 1995 - Eddie George, RB (Ohio State)
- 1996 - Danny Wuerffel, QB (Florida)
- 1997 - Charles Woodson, CB/WR (Michigan)
- 1998 - Ricky Williams, RB (Texas)
- 1999 - Ron Dayne, RB (Wisconsin)
- 2000 - Chris Weinke, QB (Florida State)
- 2001 - Eric Crouch, QB (Nebraska)
- 2002 - Carson Palmer, QB (USC)
- 2003 - Jason White, QB (Oklahoma)
- 2004 - Matt Leinart, QB (USC)
- 2005 - Reggie Bush, RB (USC)
- 2006 - Troy Smith, QB (Ohio State)
- 2007 - Tim Tebow, QB (Florida)
- 2008 - Sam Bradford, QB (Oklahoma)
- 2009 - Mark Ingram, RB (Alabama)
- 2010 - Cam Newton, QB (Auburn)
- 2011 - Robert Griffin III, QB (Baylor)
- 2012 - Johnny Manziel, QB (Texas A&M)
- 2013 - Jameis Winston, QB (Florida State)
- 2014 - Marcus Mariota, QB (Oregon)
- 2015 - Derrick Henry, RB (Alabama)
- 2016 - Lamar Jackson, QB (Louisville)
- 2017 - Baker Mayfield, QB (Oklahoma)
- 2018 - Kyler Murray, QB (Oklahoma)
- 2019 - Joe Burrow, QB (LSU)
- 2020 - DeVonta Smith, WR (Alabama)
- 2021 - Bryce Young, QB (Alabama)
- 2022 - Caleb Williams, QB (USC)
- 2023 - Jayden Daniels, QB (LSU)
- 2024 - Travis Hunter, CB/WR (Colorado)
- 2025 - Fernando Mendoza, QB (Indiana)
Interesting facts
Reggie Bush's 2005 Heisman Trophy was officially vacated by the Heisman Trust in 2010 but was later reinstated in April 2024. Another name that stands out in the list is Archie Griffin. The Ohio State running back is the only player ever to win the Heisman Trophy twice, achieving the feat in back-to-back seasons in 1974 and 1975. This record remains a standard of nearly impossible achievement.
While the award's early years were dominated by running backs, the modern era undoubtely belongs to the quarterbacks. This shift began in the 1980s with players like Doug Flutie and Vinny Testaverde, and has continued through the 2010s and 2020s with stars like Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Caleb Williams.