sport historian
Master
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2004
- Messages
- 2,954
I hope Bronk wins his beer over the question of what famous football school has had four second-place finishers but no Heisman winner. Yes, the ESPN clowns have for years claimed that Jim Brown didn't win the 1956 Heisman because of race. Brown has never made that claim in the two books he has put out, though he might nod his head when interviewed on ESPN. In his first book, Off My Chest, he said, "I had no national reputation until the New Year's Day 1957 Cotton Bowl."
In those days you couldn't win the Heisman without being famous from your play the season before. Plus, the Notre Dame factor was even stronger fifty years ago in the Heisman vote than itis now. Hornung had a good year in 1955 and ND was expected to do well. Even though the Irish finished 2-8, Hornung still won. He topped Majors by 1066-994, the closest vote up to that time. Tommy Macdonald, Jerry Tubbs, and Jim Brown were 3.4.5.
Johnny Majors played single-wing tailback and was the Vol's passer as well as leading rusher. It was like today's QB and I-formation TB were the same player. Majors also punted, played safety on defense and was rthe team leader. On the ESPN Sportcentury Hornung show, they show a clip of Majors running for a TD with Keith Jackson saying that "Johnny Majors should have won the Heisman."
Jim Brown gained 986 yards in 8 games with a 6 yard average. He didn't stand out as much as he did in the pros. In the early Fifties, Hugh MacElhenny and Ollie Matson had better numbers at Wahington and San Francisco. Also, Syracuse wasn't considered a "top-tier" programin 1956as ND, Tennessee, and Oklahoma were. When Ernie Davis won in 1961, Syracuse was a top-tier team.
In history, there are always nuances. You have to study and know them to find out what really happened.
In those days you couldn't win the Heisman without being famous from your play the season before. Plus, the Notre Dame factor was even stronger fifty years ago in the Heisman vote than itis now. Hornung had a good year in 1955 and ND was expected to do well. Even though the Irish finished 2-8, Hornung still won. He topped Majors by 1066-994, the closest vote up to that time. Tommy Macdonald, Jerry Tubbs, and Jim Brown were 3.4.5.
Johnny Majors played single-wing tailback and was the Vol's passer as well as leading rusher. It was like today's QB and I-formation TB were the same player. Majors also punted, played safety on defense and was rthe team leader. On the ESPN Sportcentury Hornung show, they show a clip of Majors running for a TD with Keith Jackson saying that "Johnny Majors should have won the Heisman."
Jim Brown gained 986 yards in 8 games with a 6 yard average. He didn't stand out as much as he did in the pros. In the early Fifties, Hugh MacElhenny and Ollie Matson had better numbers at Wahington and San Francisco. Also, Syracuse wasn't considered a "top-tier" programin 1956as ND, Tennessee, and Oklahoma were. When Ernie Davis won in 1961, Syracuse was a top-tier team.
In history, there are always nuances. You have to study and know them to find out what really happened.
