Ingram accepts the Heisman award in New York. (AP photo)
It is truly amazing to me that with all the good teams and great players that have gone through the University of Alabama over the years that not a one had won the Heisman Trophy, emblematic of the best college football player of a given year. This year, in one of the tightest votes ever, Mark Ingram won by just 28 points over (in order from second to fifth) Toby Gerhard, RB, Stanford University; Colt McCoy, QB, Texas; Ndamukong Suh, DT/E, Nebraska; and Tim Tebow, QB, Florida. He rushed for 1,542 yards, a school record, and averaged 6.2 yards per carry. What may have tipped the scales for the voters is that Ingram showed up in 'Bama's important games, including the SEC Championship against Tebow's Gators. Ingram was the only underclassman in New York; all the other candidates were seniors.
If Ingram's name rings a bell with New York Giants fans, it is because he is the son of former Giants wide receiver Mark Ingram. Ingram the elder is now famous for landing in jail due to fraud and drug charges. However the two have a warm long distance relationship at this time. Still, for young Mark to put aside such things and perform so well on the football field is a tribute not just to his athletic gifts but to his mental focus and toughness. Not bad for a sophomore in college. Congrats to him; I only wish that Nebraska defensive terror Suh had finished a little higher up in the votes/points.
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