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Louisville's Lamar Jackson becomes youngest Heisman Trophy winner

 
Louisville’s Lamar Jackson holds up the Heisman Trophy after winning the award Saturday in New York.
Louisville’s Lamar Jackson holds up the Heisman Trophy after winning the award Saturday in New York.
Published Dec. 11, 2016

NEW YORK — Lamar Jackson became the first Louisville player to win the Heisman Trophy, beating out preseason favorite Deshaun Watson of Clemson in a landslide vote Saturday night and become the first player since Notre Dame receiver Tim Brown in 1987 to lose his final two games and win the award.

Jackson is the youngest winner in the history of the trophy, at 19 years, 337 days — five days younger than Jameis Winston of Florida State was in 2013.

The quarterback, the fourth sophomore to win the Heisman, leapt over a loaded field of contenders early in the season and by the time he slowed down, nobody could catch him.

Jackson received 2,144 total points and 526 first-place votes. Watson had 1,524 points. Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield was a distant third, followed by receiver and teammate Dede Westbrook, and Michigan linebacker (and sometimes offensive player) Jabrill Peppers. By percentage of possible points received, Jackson's victory was the seventh largest.

Jackson, wearing a red velvet blazer with shiny black lapels, said his heart was pounding right before his name was announced, and he barely held it together while giving his speech with former Heisman winners standing behind him on stage.

"I almost cried," Jackson said. "I never get emotional, but to have my name called and see all those great players …"

Watson, who finished third in Heisman voting last year as a sophomore, led a stacked group of contenders entering this season that included five of the top seven vote-getters in 2015.

Jackson outdid them all in his first season as Louisville's full-time starter, accounting for 51 touchdowns and averaging 410 yards per game in total offense.

Peppers said if he had a vote, he would have cast it for Watson. "A head-to-head matchup win, you got to take that into account," Peppers said, referring to Clemson's 42-36 victory over Louisville. "He finished the season strong."

Jackson provided a signature moment against Syracuse, hurdling a defender for a TD, then played his best against the toughest competition. In a rout of FSU and the loss at Clemson, Jackson threw for 511 yards, ran for 308 and accounted for eight TDs.

The Pompano Beach native continues a trend of breakout stars winning the award. He's the sixth to win the award as either a redshirt freshman or sophomore, all since 2007, joining Johnny Manziel (redshirt freshman), Winston (redshirt freshman), Mark Ingram (sophomore), Sam Bradford (sophomore) and Tim Tebow (sophomore).