Tonight, one of the most prestigious awards in sports will be awarded to the "most outstanding player" from the 2009 college football season. Alabama's Mark Ingram and Stanford's Toby Gerhart look like the favorites, with Florida's Tim Tebow and Texas' Colt McCoy looming as dark horses with name-recognition.
The Heisman Ceremony Is Here: Will The World Learn How To Spell ‘Ndamukong’?
At 8 o'clock, live from the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City, one of those four will win the Heisman Trophy, and be immortalized in college football history alongside Eric Crouch, Jason White, and hundreds upon hundreds of Notre Dame's ghosts of the past. Just kidding! This year's field is actually stacked with talent, and while it lacks a clear-cut favorite, each of the above players enjoyed a fabulous season for some of the best team's in the country.
Oh, and did we mention the final candidate?
Ndamukong Suh
To give you an idea of just how monstrous his play’s been this season, I was even able to spell his name on the first try. That’s how often we’ve been compelled to mention the Nebraska defensive lineman this year.
Ndamukong.
And while it’s unlikely that Suh will become the second defensive player to ever win the Heisman, he might just be the most deserving candidate. Statistically, his only defensive peers come in the form of defensive lines. The common refrain in touting the Crimson Tide’s Mark Ingram is that he’s the best player on the best team in the country. Well, how does Suh stack up to the Tide’s defensive line?
Alabama D-Line
98 Tkl, 23.5 TFL, 9.5 Sk, 20 QBH, 5 PBU, 0 Int, 1 FF, 3 Blk
Ndamukong Suh
82 Tkl, 23 TFL, 12 Sk, 24 QBH, 10 PBU, 1 Int, 1 FF, 3 Blk
So, yeah: Ndamukong Suh was pretty much the epitome of “most outstanding” this season. Just had to put that on the record before we get started. At the same time, the rest of the field has been pretty damn impressive themselves. As the night unfolds, we’ll take a look at some of the other candidates for the Heisman trophy, and be providing live coverage and commentary during the ceremony itself.
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