Baylor Bears quarterback Robert Griffin III, the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner, is playing in the Alamo Bowl against the Washington Huskies right now. Given the fact that it's December 29th, it make me wonder... When is the last time a Heisman Trophy winner played in a bowl game prior to January 1st? Typically, the Heisman winner has been on a team in the National Championship game or at the very least in one of the BCS Bowl games. Unfortunately for Baylor, they made the Alamo Bowl which is played a week before those games.
Robert Griffin III, Champion Of December Bowls
Thanks to the power of Twitter, we were able to find out when the last time this happened.
Oddly enough, it’s the first time a Heisman Trophy winner has played in a bowl game prior to January 1st since 1990.
1990 (Ty Detmer, BYU, 12/29 Holiday Bowl) RT @AlfieBCC: When's the last time the Heisman Trophy winner played a bowl game before New Years?
— Patrick Vint (@HS_BHGP) December 30, 2011
After some quick double checking, aka Wikipedia, Ty Detmer in fact was the last time a Heisman winner that played in a pre-January bowl game. Matter of fact, it was the second year in a row it happened because 1989 Heisman winner, Andre Ware, didn’t play in one either.
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