Griffin III wins first Heisman Trophy for Baylor

In this photo provided by the Heisman Trophy Trust, Robert Griffin III, of Baylor University, holds the Heisman Trophy award after being named the winner, Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011, in New York. / AP Photo/Heisman Trophy Trust, Kelly Kline

NEW YORK - Robert Griffin III beat out preseason favorite Andrew Luck for the Heisman Trophy, dazzling voters with his ability to throw, run and lead Big 12 doormat Baylor into the national rankings.

The quarterback known as RG3 became the first Heisman winner from Baylor on Saturday night by a comfortable cushion over the Stanford star.

Griffin started the season on the fringe of the Heisman conversation, a talented and exciting player on a marginal team, while Luck was already being touted as a No. 1 NFL draft pick.

Draft day might very well still belong to Luck, but Griffin diverted the Heisman to Waco, Texas, to a school that has never had a player finish better than fourth in the voting — and that was 48 years ago.

The junior received 405 first-place votes and 1,687 points. Luck received 247 first-place votes and 1,407 points to become the fourth player to be Heisman runner-up in consecutive seasons and first since Arkansas running back Darren McFadden in 2006 and `07.

Alabama running back Trent Richardson was third with 138 first-place votes and 978 points. Wisconsin running back Montee Ball (348 points) was fourth and the other finalist, LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu (327) was fifth.

Griffin's highlights were simply spectacular — his signature moment coming on a long, cross-field touchdown pass with 8 seconds left to beat Oklahoma — and he put up dizzying numbers, completing 72 percent of his passes for 3,998 yards with 36 touchdown passes and a nation-leading 192.3 efficiency rating.

More importantly, he lifted Baylor (9-3) to national prominence and one of the greatest seasons in school history. The 15th-ranked Bears won nine games for the first time in 25 years, beat the Sooners for the first time ever and went 4-0 in November.

That was after winning a total of four November games in their first 15 Big 12 seasons. And the last three games? Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Texas.

Luck was the front-runner from the moment in January he surprised many by returning to Stanford for one more season instead of jumping to the NFL to become a millionaire. He didn't disappoint, with 3,170 yards receiving, 35 touchdown passes, a completion percentage of 70 percent and a rating of 167.5.

Griffin put up better numbers and, essentially, out-Lucked Luck, who became a star by lifting a forlorn program at a private school out of the shadows of its powerful conference rivals.

Luck made a sensational one-handed catch early in what turned out to be a blowout victory against UCLA. Nice.

Griffin made a 15-yard reception in traffic to convert a key third down on the game-winning drive in Baylor's opening 50-48 victory against TCU. Better.

The 6-foot-2, 220 pounder with sprinter's speed — he was an all-American in the 400-meter hurdles — grabbed plenty of headlines and attention with that first Friday performance against the Horned Frogs and ended the first month of the season with more touchdown passes than incompletions.

He was an early Heisman front-runner, but he faded in October as Baylor lost three of four. Griffin continued to pile up video game numbers, but not enough to compensate for the Bears' leaky defense.

He finished with a kick and shot up the Heisman charts on Nov. 19, when Baylor beat Oklahoma 45-38. Griffin passed for 479 yards and four touchdowns against the Sooners, including that sensational 34-yard, game-winner to Terrance Williams in the closing seconds.

He stated his case one last time — emphatically — on championship Saturday, capping his season with 320 yards passing and two TD passes and two touchdown runs in a 48-24 victory against Texas. It was the second straight year Griffin led the Bears past those longtime bullies from Austin.

At that point it become obvious that quarterback Don Trull's fourth-place finish in 1963 would no longer be the Heisman standard at Baylor.

Landing Griffin, the son of two U.S. Army sergeants who settled in central Texas, was a recruiting coup for Baylor, though it was something of a package deal.

Griffin had committed to Houston and coach Art Briles, but when Baylor hired Briles away, Griffin switched up and followed the coach to a program that hadn't even played in a bowl game sinve 1994.

He started 11 games as an 18-year-old freshman in 2008 and tore a knee ligament three games into the 2009 season.

He returned last year as good as new and with a newfound commitment and love of football. He threw for 3,501 yards and led Baylor to a 7-6 record and its first bowl appearance since 1994.

This season, his passing has improved and he's still a dangerous runner (644 yards and nine DS). He has left little doubt that he's a pro prospect, though he's got one more game — the Alamo Bowl against Washington on Dec. 29 in San Antonio — to show his stuff.

An aspiring lawyer who is working on a master's degree in communications, he holds 46 school records and adoring Bears fans are praying he comes back for more.

[yougogirl60]

@GeorgeGagner:

You are a pathetic, anonymous loser who is probably also a racist who has accomplished NOTHING in his life and blames it on black people. WAAH! WAAH! WAAH! I am a loser because MY place was taken by an "unqualified" black person. Keep telling yourself that, and maybe you and everyone else in your sad life will believe it, LOSER. Stop playing the VICTIM CARD!

Congratulations, RGP3!

OBAMA/BIDEN 2012!

[freeamerica31]

I think the Heisman Voters are starting to vote in the right direction. It's not the team with the best record but the MVP of College football and how much his team depends on him. If you have a positive record then that's a start but you don't need an undefeated team or win a national championship or even win your conference to be a Heisman winner.

I'm just disappointed more players with bigger impacts on their teams than those at the top of food chain were not considered. Thanks Heisman Voters...you did college football well this year.

[nymikenc]

dont know much about rg3 as everyone is calling him, but i do know something about football. Luck will certainly be a HOF whereas rg3 is not guaranteed the same future.

[freeamerica31]

What does anything about HOF have to do with this year? RG3 won...be a good sport.

P.S. RG3 stands for Robert Griffin III...a little upset this guy one are you?

[GeorgeGagner]

RG3 has the obvious advantages pointed out by Jimmy.

Luck has no receivers, and is still phenomenal.

RG3 will be a mediocre, affirmative action lawyer, like our President.

Luck will be a great NFL quarterback and have a phenomenal career after football, because he is genuinely smart.

[freeamerica31]

What's wrong with the RG3 bashing? Foul....Poor Sportmanship!

[ReckonedTruth]

@ George.. you're what's WRONG with america..you and your type who are RACE-BASED thinkers. Why is there's this "BUT or HOWEVER" when you speak of African Americans? You CAN NEVER give RESPECT to blacks when they deserve it can you- without the "however or BUT" ..

RG3 is a leader and deserved the trophy.. he's drug and alcohol free(never has done either) and engaged to be married and operates within many charities.. also excellent academic skills at Baylor and NOT a affirmative action student and if he was, AND? When america insidously on purpose discriminates non-whites who are quanified, get a clue. RG3 is a excellent example of what ANY young AMERICAN should and can be.

[stuwerb]

Congratulations, RGB III! The Big12 can use some good news.