Crouch Claims Heisman Trophy
by CFP Staff
12/8/01 10:14 pm est
The
Downtown Athletic Club of New York City bestowed the 2001 Heisman
Trophy on Eric Crouch Saturday night.
As expected, it was one of the closest races in the history of
the award as the Nebraska option quarterback edged Florida's
sophomore pocket-passing phenom, Rex Grossman, 770-708.
Miami quarterback Ken Dorsey was third with 638 points and Oregon
quarterback Joey Harrington fourth with 368 points. Crouch's
margin of victory was the fourth closest in the Heisman's 67-year
history, and the smallest since Oregon State's Terry Baker won
in 1962. There may be an explanation for that.
Though 924 ballots were mailed out, but only 585 were counted
among the top 10 finishers, or just 63.3 percent. Heisman officials
report there is usually an 80 percent return rate but could offer
no explanation for the unusual amount of missing ballots.
Crouch received 162 first-place
votes, 98 second-place votes and 88 third-place votes, but won
only one region -- the Southwest. Grossman had 137 first-place
votes, 105 for second and 87 for third. He won the Mid-Atlantic
and South.
Dorsey, who led Miami to an 11-0
record and a spot in the national title game, had 109 first-place
votes, 122 for second and 67 for third. He won the Northeast.
Harrington, who threw for 2,414
yards and 23 TDs in leading the Ducks (10-1) to the Pac-10 title,
had 54 first-place votes, 68 for second and 66 for third. He
won the Far West.
The closest Heisman vote was Bo Jackson's 45-point victory over
Chuck Long in 1985.
Voters list three choices on
their ballots, and players are awarded 3 points for first place,
2 for second and 1 for third.
Fresno State quarterback David
Carr was fifth, followed by Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle
El, Oklahoma safety Roy Williams, Miami left tackle Bryant McKinnie,
Syracuse defensive end Dwight Freeney and North Carolina defensive
end Julius Peppers.
The Heisman ceremony was held
at the Marriott Marquis in midtown Manhattan due to damage sustained
by the Downtown Athletic Club in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. |