Detmer was NOT the worst Heisman winner.

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Detmer was NOT the worst Heisman winner.

Author: jakers (14224 Posts - Original UHND Member)

Posted at 10:06 am on Nov 4, 2025

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I'm fine with folks arguing that Rocket was the best player that year. But Detmer set or tied 47 college records that season. He led B.Y.U. to an upset of #1 Miami. Regardless of the debate over the best that season, Detmer had a great year.

The real beef regarding Ismail should really fall on whether Holtz should have used him more. He had 6 total touchdowns on only 126 all-purpose touches. Obviously, teams were focusing entire game plans around the guy and perhaps Holtz was concerned about injury risk.

Replies to: "Detmer was NOT the worst Heisman winner."

Who was the worst Heisman winner in the last 50 years? - jakers - 2:42pm 11/3/25 (31) [View All]
- Gino and furthermore because he won over Faulk then Detmer [NT] - Rocketman84 - 1:14pm 11/4/25
- Detmer. [NT] - BaronVonZemo - 1:04am 11/4/25
  - Detmer was NOT the worst Heisman winner. - jakers - 10:06am 11/4/25
    - Problem with Detmer was he threw about 30 INTs as well which was a record [NT] - Rocketman84 - 1:15pm 11/4/25
      - He threw 41 T.D.'s, ran for 4 T.D.'s, and had 28 INT's. - jakers - 2:04pm 11/4/25
        He's definitely top 4 and passer rating was done a whole lot different during those days. - Rocketman84 - 10:05pm 11/4/25
  - Agreed. Didn't he throw 10 interceptions in 2 games after winning it? [NT] - NedoftheHill - 2:16am 11/4/25
    - Got battered around - ndunabomber - 8:57am 11/4/25
    - Not sure, sounds about right though. He also intercepted Rocket’s Heisman. So unfair. [NT] - BaronVonZemo - 8:08am 11/4/25
- Last 50? Probably Gino. Last 70? Hornung. It's a joke that he picked over Jim Brown. - MAS - 8:10pm 11/3/25
  - They also picked three other guys ahead of Brown in 1956. Ask Johnny Majors. [NT] - murph78 - 9:52pm 11/3/25
- Chris Weinke was the first Heisman winner not to be a consensus AA [NT] - Turkish - 6:29pm 11/3/25
  - True, but he was pretty damn good. - jakers - 8:07pm 11/3/25
- Ty Detmer [NT] - DonMiller - 4:01pm 11/3/25
  - Detmer was a great college QB who picked apart Miami, when Miami was tops. [NT] - MAS - 8:10pm 11/3/25
- Troy Smith? - Fisher01 - 4:00pm 11/3/25
  - He crossed my mind. - jakers - 4:21pm 11/3/25
- I remember Ingram, that was the year Toby Gearheart the back everyone was talking about [NT] - holybull101 - 3:19pm 11/3/25
- Ty Detmer (1990), Desmond Howard (1991) - ndunabomber - 3:05pm 11/3/25
  - Desmond Howard, biggest pain in the ass and a prime time prima donna. [NT] - THEISMANCARR - 9:37am 11/4/25
  - Rocket deserved to win. [NT] - Hensou - 3:21pm 11/3/25
    - Agreed about Rocket, unfortunately, he didn’t have the stats for the trophy…. - NEPA Irish - 7:13pm 11/3/25
      - Greatest player the defense and special teams had to worry about ever! When he went out against - THEISMANCARR - 9:35am 11/4/25
- Agree on Gino Torretta, always my answer when this type of question comes up. - Clem - 2:57pm 11/3/25
  - GT is correct [NT] - Frankx - 3:30pm 11/3/25
  - It was definitely a team award. - jakers - 3:08pm 11/3/25
    - Even Craig Erickson was better than Gino, as evidenced by who stuck around in the NFL for awhile. [NT] - MAS - 8:13pm 11/3/25
    - Truth [NT] - Clem - 3:14pm 11/3/25
- Re: Who was the worst Heisman winner in the last 50 years? - gipper233 - 2:54pm 11/3/25
  - I had to look that one up. - jakers - 3:02pm 11/3/25
- Not sure but Theismann and Rocket should have won it. [NT] - THEISMANCARR - 2:52pm 11/3/25