clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Random: MAC Football Schools And Top Ten Heisman Finishes

NEW YORK - DECEMBER 11:  The 2010 Heisman Trophy is displayed prior to a press conference for Heisman Trophy candidates at The New York Marriott Marquis on December 11 2010 in New York City.  (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - DECEMBER 11: The 2010 Heisman Trophy is displayed prior to a press conference for Heisman Trophy candidates at The New York Marriott Marquis on December 11 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
Getty Images

This has been languishing on my desktop for a few days and I don't have much other use for it other than to share it with you kind folks. I probably compiled it in relation to LeShon Johnson to show how rare it was for a MAC player to get national recognition, and then I realized Johnson wasn't technically a MAC player. Doy.

So this list may be out there in some capacity somewhere, but let's share it again: every MAC school name-dropped in a top ten of voting for the Heisman Trophy:

1971: Toledo QB Chuck Ealey (8th)
1975: Toledo QB Gene Swick (10th)
1985: Bowling Green QB Brian McClure (T-10th)
1993: Northern Illinois RB LeShon Johnson (6th)*
1997: Marshall WR Randy Moss (4th)†
1999: Marshall QB Chad Pennington (5th)†
2002: Marshall QB Byron Leftwich (6th)
2003: Miami QB Ben Roethlisberger (9th)
2008: Ball State QB Nate Davis (8th)

* - School was not in the MAC at the time of the vote. NIU was in the now-obsolete Big West in '93, also I-A.

† - Was invited to New York as a finalist.

(Updated July 7, 2012 because I omitted Byron Leftwich for some weird reason. As long as I was here I lopped out Paul Palmer since he played for Temple and his voting predated their MAC stint.)