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Fans Loved Ashton Jeanty's Team-First Gesture That Set Him Apart From Other Heisman Finalists

Tom Dierberger

Jeanty hoists the Mountain West Trophy after Boise State beat UNLV 21-7 in the conference championship.
Jeanty hoists the Mountain West Trophy after Boise State beat UNLV 21-7 in the conference championship. / Brian Losness-Imagn Images
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Ashton Jeanty chose to do something no other Heisman finalist did Friday while making the media rounds in New York City ahead of this weekend's trophy ceremony.

Sure, he led the nation with 2,497 rushing yards this season—over 800 more yards than the second-place back—while averaging 7.3 yards per carry and scoring 29 touchdowns. No other player in the country did all that.

But the college football world noticed that Jeanty also was the only Heisman finalist to rock his team gear during media sessions Friday, the day before the trophy is awarded to college football's best player at the Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.

"Reading the little Heisman pamphlet, they encouraged us to wear our gear," Jeanty said of his team-spirited fashion choice. "But regardless, I was going to wear it anyways, because I wouldn't be here without Boise State. I just want to represent my school—I feel like that's important."

While publicly presenting his Heisman Trophy case on multiple occasions, Jeanty has always given credit to his teammates. He took his entire offensive line out for dinner at the Barbacoa Grill in Boise earlier this month—an impressive gesture from a college kid, even in the NIL era.

"It was a good time. Just to show my appreciate for them. You don't get 2,000 rushing yards by yourself," Jeanty said. "They did a great job all year blocking for me and opening up holes. I couldn't do it without them."

Fans loved his team-first gesture:

Jeanty will learn his Heisman Trophy fate during the ceremony in New York City at 8 p.m. ET Saturday. Even if he finishes short, Jeanty will be rocking the Boise State colors once again Dec. 31 when the Broncos face the winner between SMU and Penn State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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