The Five Biggest Snubs in Heisman Trophy History

From O.J. Simpson to Marshall Faulk, Sports Illustrated revisits the biggest snubs in Heisman Trophy history.

The 2022 Heisman Trophy is set to be handed out on Saturday night in New York City. As college football fans prepare to watch this year’s Heisman ceremony, it’s only fitting that readers revisit some of the notable snubs in the history of the award.

The list below encompasses five of the most notable omissions in the award’s storied history. To be clear, all members of this list were Heisman finalists but did not win the award. There are no players listed on this list who were not finalists the year that the award was presented.

This year’s Heisman Trophy ceremony will be televised on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Adrian Peterson - Running Back, Oklahoma (2004)

Adrian Peterson’s freshman season in 2004 will undoubtedly go down as one of the biggest snubs in the history of the Heisman Trophy. If he weren’t a freshman, he likely would have taken home the hardware.

Peterson’s freshman campaign at Oklahoma was a sight to behold. He burst onto the scene to finish third in the country with 1,925 yards en route to an Orange Bowl berth for the Sooners, who played for a national championship against USC. 

Speaking of USC, the award was captured that season by Trojans sophomore quarterback Matt Leinart, who orchestrated an outstanding offense under coach Pete Carroll. Leinart had a strong season, throwing for 3,322 yards and 33 touchdowns to just six interceptions. Leinart was the best quarterback in the country that season, but Peterson was the best player. 

O.J. Simpson - Running Back, Southern Cal (1967)

USC running back O.J. Simpson won the Heisman Trophy in 1968 as a senior with the Trojans, but that award in ’68 could have made him the first two-time winner. That’s because Simpson should have won the award in ’67 as well. 

The All-America running back finished second in the voting that season behind UCLA quarterback Gary Beban. Beban threw for 1,359 yards and eight touchdowns to seven interceptions. He added 227 yards rushing and 11 scores on the ground as well.

Meanwhile, Simpson rushed for 1,543 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Trojans, who won the conference title and beat UCLA head to head. Beban’s numbers, while good for the era, were not as prolific as Simpson’s rushing totals, which makes this one of the biggest snubs in the award’s history. 

Marshall Faulk - Running Back, San Diego State (1992)

San Diego State running back Marshall Faulk was likely harmed by his team’s 5–5–1 record when considering his 1992 Heisman candidacy. Faulk, a sophomore, rushed for 1,630 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground, and was largely viewed as the nation’s best player.

Instead, the award went to Miami quarterback Gino Torretta, who threw for 3,060 yards and 19 touchdowns to seven interceptions for the Hurricanes, who went 11–1 and lost the national title to Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. The quarterback of one of the best teams in the country claimed the award in ’92, but the best player in the nation was Faulk.

Tommie Frazier - Quarterback, Nebraska (1995)

There are plenty of instances in the history of the Heisman Trophy where the quarterback of a team in national title contention won the coveted individual award. 

However, that was not the case in 1995, when Ohio State running back Eddie George edged out Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier. George posted 1,927 yards and 24 touchdowns and was the best running back in the country that season, but Frazier’s numbers were even better.

Frazier operated Nebraska’s national championship offense in ’95 and is arguably the greatest option quarterback in the history of the sport. Frazier posted 1,362 yards and 17 touchdowns through the air, while adding 604 yards and 14 scores on the ground. Frazier led the country in all-purpose touchdowns, and directed a Cornhuskers offense that averaged 53.2 points per game.

Larry Fitzgerald - Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh (2003)

Larry Fitzgerald’s 2003 season is one of the most impressive individual seasons by a wide receiver in college football history. The sophomore wideout made the most of his final season at Pittsburgh, catching 92 passes for 1,672 yards and 22 touchdowns, averaging 18.2 yards per catch in the process.

Fitzgerald finished second in Heisman voting to Oklahoma quarterback Jason White, who completed 61.6% of his passes for 3,846 yards and 40 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. White had an impressive season, no doubt, but Fitzgerald’s performance at the wide receiver position was transcendent. 

Fitzgerald was the best player in college football in ’03 and should have won the Heisman Trophy.