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Oklahoma slinger Jason White wins Heisman Trophy
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NEW YORK – Oklahoma quarterback Jason White was named the
2003 winner of the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night in a relatively
close victory over Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
White will complete his college career when the Sooners play
Louisiana State in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4 with at least a share
of the national title at stake.
“It’s an honor to accept this,” White said
after his name was called at the awards ceremony at the Yale Club
of New York City. “I never thought I’d have a chance to
win it.”
The Heisman, which is annually awarded to college
football’s most outstanding player, was voted on by 870
members of the media, 51 former Heisman winners, and one selected
fan.
White won by 128 points over Fitzgerald.
This is the fourth straight year that a quarterback won. White
follows Carson Palmer (2002), Eric Crouch (2001), and Chris Weinke
(2000).
A sturdy 6-foot-3 and 221 pounds, White led the country in pass
efficiency by connecting on 265 of 414 pass attempts, and produced
one of the best statistical seasons in the history of college
football with 3,744 yards passing, 40 touchdowns, and only eight
interceptions.
The three other Heisman finalists were Fitzgerald (Pittsburgh),
quarterback Eli Manning (Mississippi), and tailback Chris Perry
(Michigan), who were also present at the ceremony.
The spectacular Fitzgerald, who was seeking to become the first
sophomore to claim college football’s most prestigious award,
would have joined Johnny Rodgers of Nebraska (1972), Tim Brown of
Notre Dame (`87), and Desmond Howard (`91) of Michigan as the only
wide receivers to win the Heisman since its inception in 1935.
Fitzgerald, who attended Valley Forge Military Academy for one
year, set an NCAA record this fall with touchdown catches in 18
straight games going back to last season. This season, he caught 87
passes for 1,595 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Manning followed his father, Archie, and brother, Peyton, as
outstanding college quarterbacks. Many observers view the 6-5,
218-pound Manning as the top quarterback available in the next
year’s NFL draft.
Manning completed 253 of 410 pass attempts for 3,341 yards, 27
touchdowns and nine interceptions during his senior season.
Perry, the 6-1, 228-pound tailback who many considered to be the
most complete player in the nation at his position, rushed for
1,589 yards on 315 carries, with 17 touchdowns.
The senior also had 42 pass receptions for 366 yards and a pair
of touchdowns.
White, who developed his work ethic while growing up in a
farming community about 20 miles from Oklahoma City, overcame two
season-ending knee injuries before taking over the starting job for
Oklahoma this year.
The Sooners were 11-0 when they fell to Kansas State, 35-7 in
the Big 12 title game. In that contest, White did not throw for a
touchdown for the first time this season, and was intercepted twice
while going 27 for 50 for 298 yards as Oklahoma’s bid for a
perfect season was thwarted.
Whether White’s chances of winning the Heisman were
compromised by that outing remained to be seen until Saturday
night.
Now that this year’s Heisman watch is over, the question
that remains is what kind of pro White will turn out to be
evin Tatum
Knight Ridder Newspapers
(KRT)
