Heisman Trophy Winner Is Derrick Henry of Alabama
When the Heisman Trophy winner was announced last Saturday, it wasn't really a surprise who won it. Derrick Henry is the second player from Alabama to get the equivalent of the most valuable player award in college football and is only the third running back to have the honor of hoisting the trophy for almost twenty years.
The runners-up included the likes of Christian McCaffrey of Stanford, who finished second, and then followed by Deshaun Watson, Clemson's star quarterback.
Before taking home the award, Henry actually accomplished another feat by breaking the Southeastern Conference record of Herschel Walker for yards rushing, producing 1,986 in his career. He also equaled the SEC mark for most touchdowns with 23. His team, Alabama, is currently ranked second with a record of 12-1.
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At that point in the season when he broke Walker's record, it no longer became a surprise that he will walk away with the most important and distinguished individual award for a college football player. He had some serious competition with the finest players from other schools, but Henry is considered by several experts as someone who is in a league of his own.
Before his achievement, the other Alabama running back to receive the Heisman Trophy was Mark Ingram, who hoisted it in 2009. Henry received a total of 1,832 points, ahead of McCaffrey's 1,539, while Watson is a distant third with 1,165 points. Although it sure did look like Henry was a surefire winner, he actually narrowly won it. As a matter of fact, the difference in points is one of the closest in the history of the Heisman Trophy.
In his speech, Henry talked about how much he values his team and everyone in it. "Coming into Alabama from Florida, they all accepted me. They all loved me and all supported me. This season, they took me as a leader, guys following behind me, watching me work every day. All I wanted to do was affect them by the way I practice and the way I work hard," he said.
