Heisman Highlights Updated

In taking time to persue more on the business end of First & Goal, I realize that the blog end has been pushed to the back burner. For anyone that faithfully follows this blog for late breaking news or amusing muses, I apologize.

In looking to strike a better balance, I am already working on a slate of posts for next calendar year. For now, it is just the ho-hum HOF Spotlight and Heisman Highlights, but I suppose any content is better than no content. While I was poking around these parts, I decided to upgrade the Heisman Highlight posts. I have added the official Heisman portrait to each currently published Highlight (and will do so to all future Highlights). I’ve also cleaned up the presentation a bit to make them more uniform and hopefully more appealing.

Check them out!

Heisman Highlight: Charles White

Name: Charles White
Position: Running Back
College: Southern California Trojans
Class: Senior
Winning Year: 1979 – 45th Award
Official Heisman Profile: Click Here
 
 
 

Interesting Notes: White was a workhorse and carried the ball 30-40 times each game his senior year…averaged 194.1 yards per game his senior year…rushed for a total of 6,245 yards in his career, including bowl games…holds a total of 22 NCAA, PAC-10, and USC records…was drafted by the Cleveland Browns and later played for Los Angeles Rams…was elected to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1996.

Featured Card: 1981 Topps #69. Despite an incredible college career, White’s NFL career never quite took off, having only one respectable season when he led the league in rushing yards in 1987. This fact obviously affects his rookie card value as there is only a very small sampling listed on the secondary market. An autographed copy will set you back less than $10 and a raw copy looks to cost about $1. White certainly wasn’t the first or the last Heisman winner to fizzle out after college and is still a valuable member of the fraternity and any Heisman card or memorabilia collection.

NOTE: You can find all of my Heisman Highlight Features by clicking the post banner above.

Heisman Highlight: Billy Sims

Name: Billy Sims
Position: Running Back
College: Oklahoma Sooners
Class: Junior
Winning Year: 1978 – 44th Award
Official Heisman Profile: Click Here
 
 
 

Interesting Notes: Sims was a man possessed his junior year, setting the Big Eight single season rushing record at 1,762 yards on 7.6 yards per attempt…rushed for more than 300 yards in three consecutive games…won a host of national awards in just his first full season after injury-riddled freshman and sophomore years…had fewer first place votes than Penn State QB Chuck Fusina but finished ahead in total points by dominating the second place votes…was elected to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1995.

Featured Card: 1981 Topps #100. Sims may have set the news presses on fire in 1978, but he has evidently lost some of his luster after 30 years. There are relatively few copies of his rookie card listed on eBay and not one breaks the $50 mark. Interestingly enough, there are a few autographed copies available, which is not the case for many Heisman winners. With a vast majority of listings falling under $10 shipped, this would be a great card to add to or kick start a Heisman winners rookie card collection.

NOTE: You can find all of my Heisman Highlight Features by clicking the post banner above.

Heisman Highlight: Earl Campbell

Name: Earl Campbell
Position: Running Back
College: Texas Longhorns
Class: Senior
Winning Year: 1977 – 43rd Award
Official Heisman Profile: Click Here
 
 
 

Interesting Notes: Campbell had a very successful four year rushing career at Texas…eclipsed the 100-yard mark in 18 college games…was a four-time All Southwest running back (the first to do so)…won every region of Heisman voting except his home base…was the first overall pick in the 1978 NFL Draft…broke several rookie records with the Houston Oilers…had a very successful NFL career…was elected to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1990.

Featured Card: 1979 Topps #390. Earl’s Heisman victory, #1 overall pick status, and successful NFL career have obviously kept him in the collecting limelight. There are a lot of current listings on eBay with a huge range of prices. There are actually TWO token higher than anything listings right around $2,000. There are a large number of copies available in the $25-$50 range. There are a handful of auctions starting at just $0.99 and the lowest BIN listing carries a $5.25 + 2 S/H. So yeah, there’s a wide range.

NOTE: You can find all of my Heisman Highlight Features by clicking the post banner above.

Heisman Highlight: Tony Dorsett

Name: Tony Dorsett
Position: Running Back
College: Pittsburgh Panthers
Class: Senior
Winning Year: 1976 – 42nd Award
Official Heisman Profile: Click Here
 
 
 

Interesting Notes: Dorsett set numerous NCAA rushing records including most yards gained, most seasons gaining 1,000 yards, most seasons gaining 1,500 yards, most rushes, most yards rushing, and most yards gained in a season…led Pitt to a national title over Georgia as a senior…rushed for 6,082 yards in his four-year career…joined the Dallas Cowboys in 1977 and won Rookie of the Year honors and played in the Super Bowl alongside Roger Staubach, Heisman Winner of 1963… was elected to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1994.

Featured Card: 1978 Topps #315. Tony’s successful NFL career with one of the league’s most popular teams has kept him in the minds of many fans and collectors. Despite his rookie card being 33 years old, there is still a lot of activity on the secondary market. There are tons of listings on eBay with a wide range of prices and a pretty clear grading preference. The token much higher than anything else listing carries an asking price of $325 (+5.95 shipping) but it looks like the most popular range is $30-$40.

NOTE: You can find all of my Heisman Highlight Features by clicking the post banner above.

Heisman Highlight: Archie Griffin

Name: Archie Griffin
Position: Running Back
College: Ohio State Buckeyes
Class: Senior
Winning Year: 1975 – 41st Award
Official Heisman Profile: Click Here
 
 
 

Interesting Notes: Griffin was named to every All-American team as a junior and destroyed the all-time rushing yards record in the Big Ten…was labeled “the greatest football player I’ve ever coached” by legendary Buckeyes coach Woody Hayes…amassed 31 consecutive 100+ yard games and 5,176 career rushing yards by the time he graduated early…was and is still the only player to ever win two Heisman Trophies…remained modest and an epitome of hard work and dedication on and off the field despite all of his personal accolades…played professional football for the Cincinnati Bengals…was elected to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1986.

Featured Card: 1977 Topps #269. Despite his absolute dominance of the college game, Archie Griffin never really found his footing in the NFL, playing just 7 seasons with mediocre results. He will always be remembered, however, as the only two-time Heisman winner, a feat that has been challenged but never again repeated in the past 35 years. His rookie card remains fairly popular in terms of activity, but generally carries a sticker price of less than $5.

NOTE: You can find all of my Heisman Highlight Features by clicking the post banner above.