Lamar Jackson wins Louisville's first Heisman Trophy
On a night filled with the presence of a great number of college football stars, Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson shined the brightest as the winner of the 2016 Heisman Memorial Trophy.
Jackson became the first player from Louisville to ever win the award, and was selected over four other very credible finalists. The sophomore also became the youngest ever to win the award, taking over that honor from 2013 winner Jameis Winston.
Jackson finished with 2,144 total votes, just over 600 more than second-place finisher, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson.
| Rank | Player | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamar Jackson | 2144 |
| 2 | Deshaun Watson | 1524 |
| 3 | Baker Mayfield | 361 |
| 4 | Dede Westbrook | 209 |
| 5 | Jabrill Peppers | 208 |
After being announced as the winner, Jackson was both humbled to be in the presence of former Heisman winners, as well as thankful to those who helped him achieve as much as he has on the field this season.
"To be able to stand up here with all the former winners, I'm extremely proud to represent this class and Louisville as their first Heisman Trophy winner," Jackson said. "For my teammates, it's an award for all of us. I can't wait to cherish it with all of you."
The final Heisman voting totals show Jackson finished with a whopping 526 first-place votes, with Watson finishing second with 269, and Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield finishing third with 26.
Final Heisman voting totals: pic.twitter.com/mkFnw6M87j
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) December 11, 2016
Jackson's sophomore season has certainly been one for the ages, as he has recorded 3,390 passing yards and 30 touchdowns to go along with 1,538 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns heading into the Cardinals' Citrus Bowl matchup with LSU.
With one more season to go for Jackson at Louisville before he becomes draft eligible, it will be interesting to see if he will be able to repeat his successes and put himself back into the group of finalists for the Heisman in 2017.