Where Marcus Mariota ranks among recent Heisman winners based on NFL success
USC’s Caleb Williams just won the Heisman Trophy and since he’s just a sophomore, he could very well win it again in 2023.
But winning the Heisman doesn’t mean you’ll have a stellar NFL career. Oregon’s Marcus Mariota knows that all too well. It was thought the only Duck to ever win the prestigious award would go on and tear it up in the NFL.
Unfortunately, Mariota is on his third team in eight seasons and just left the Atlanta Falcons after the team has decided to go with rookie Desmond Ridder for the rest of the season.
But there have been many successful Heisman winners and some are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. USA TODAY writer took the task of ranking the last 25 Heisman winners according to their success on the next level.
Bryce Young - Alabama
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Heisman Year: 2021
NFL accolades: Young is still at Alabama
Jason White - Oklahoma
Preston Mack-USA TODAY Sports
Heisman Year: 2003
NFL accolades: White wasn’t drafted, signed with the Tennessee Titans as a free agent before retiring with bad knees. He never played in the NFL.
Eric Crouch - Nebraska
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Heisman Year: 2001
NFL accolades: Crouch was an option quarterback and the NFL’s offenses weren’t as dynamic as they are now. He was drafted in the third round by the St. Louis Rams as a receiver. He never played in the NFL, but played in several pro leagues such as the CFL and NFL Europe.
Johnny Manziel - Texas A&M
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Heisman Year: 2012
NFL accolades: Manziel started eight games in two seasons for the Cleveland Browns, but off-the-field issues derailed his career. He has since played in the CFL and a couple of other minor pro leagues.
Troy Smith - Ohio State
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Heisman Year: 2006
NFL accolades: Smith played four seasons and made eight starts with the Baltimore Ravens (2007-09) and the San Francisco 49ers (2010).
Chris Weinke - Florida State
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Heisman Year: 2000
NFL accolades: At 28, Weinke was the oldest-ever Heisman winner. He was drafted in the fourth round by the Carolina Panthers. Weinke started all 16 games in his rookie season, but the Panthers went 1-15. After that, he made five starts in six seasons.
Matt Leinart - USC
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Heisman Year: 2004
NFL accolades: Leinart was the 10th overall selection by the Arizona Cardinals and started just 18 games in six seasons.
Ron Dayne - Wisconsin
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Heisman Year: 1999
NFL accolades: Dayne played seven years in the NFL where he rushed for 3,722 yards and scored 28 touchdowns.
DaVonta Smith - Alabama
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Heisman Year: 2020
NFL accolades: Smith was taken 10th overall by Philadelphia and he caught 64 passes for 916 yards and five touchdowns in his rookie season. Smith is doing even better in 2022 for the team with the league’s best record.
Tim Tebow - Florida
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Heisman Year: 2007
NFL accolades: Tebow made 16 starts in three seasons, but will always be remembered as the guy that brought the Denver Broncos back from a 1-4 start to 8-8, many of those wins late in the game. He also led the Broncos to a playoff win over the Steelers.
Marcus Mariota - Oregon
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Heisman Year: 2014
NFL accolades: Mariota has made 61 starts in six seasons with the Titans, Raiders and now the Falcons. He has thrown for over 15,500 yards and 92 touchdowns.
Jameis Winston - Florida State
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Heisman Year: 2013
NFL accolades: Winston was the first overall pick in 2015 by Tampa Bay and never blossomed into the star quarterback they had hoped for. He has played in one Pro Bowl, however, and is currently the starter for New Orleans.
Robert Griffin III - Baylor
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Heisman Year: 2011
NFL accolades: RG3 was the second overall pick by Washington and was the NFL’s 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year. But he suffered a major knee injury in a playoff loss to Seattle and was never quite the same without the mobility factor. He’s now a college football analyst on ESPN, and a good one at that.
Kyler Murray - Oklahoma
Michael Chow-Arizona Republic
Heisman Year: 2018
NFL accolades: Murray was the No. 1 pick in 2019 to Arizona and was the Offensive Rookie of the Year. He’s one of the best young quarterbacks in the league today.
Sam Bradford - Oklahoma
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Heisman Year: 2008
NFL accolades: He was the No. 1 overall pick in 2009 and was the Offensive Rookie of the Year, but knee injuries severely affected his career. He did play for eight seasons with four teams and threw for almost 19,950 yards and 103 touchdowns.
Mark Ingram - Alabama
Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
Heisman Year: 2009
NFL accolades: Ingram has had a very good career for the Saints. He’s rushed for over 8,100 yards, 75 total touchdowns (65 rushing), and has appeared in one Pro Bowl.
Baker Mayfield - Oklahoma
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Heisman Year: 2017
NFL accolades: Mayfield led the Cleveland Browns … the BROWNS, to the playoffs in 2020, ending 12 straight losing seasons for that franchise. That alone got Mayfield in the Top 10 on this list.
Reggie Bush - USC
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Heisman Year: 2005
NFL accolades: After being the No. 2 pick in the 2006 NFL draft, Bush played 11 seasons in the NFL, scoring 58 total touchdowns via the run, pass, and kickoff returns. He also has a Super Bowl ring as he was a vital member of the New Orleans Saints team that won Super Bowl XLIV (44) in Miami. The Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 for their first-ever title.
Ricky Williams - Texas
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Heisman Year: 1998
NFL accolades: Williams was a First-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in 2002, rushed for over 1,000 in two different seasons, and won the rushing title (1,853) with the Dolphins. In his 11 seasons, Williams rushed for 10,009 yards and 66 touchdowns.
Carson Palmer - USC
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Heisman Year: 2002
NFL accolades: Palmer had 15 productive seasons with the Bengals and Cardinals. His 46,247 passing yards are the most ever by a Heisman winner.
Derrick Henry - Alabama
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Heisman Year: 2002
NFL accolades: Henry has become a prolific tailback for the Titans. He led the lead in rushing twice (2019-20) and became the eighth player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. Henry is a two-time Pro Bowler.
Joe Burrow - LSU
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Heisman Year: 2019
NFL accolades: Burrow didn’t let a knee injury in his rookie season stop him in the following years. He was able to lead the Bengals to a surprising run to last year’s Super Bowl before falling to the Rams. Arguably, he’s the best quarterback Cincinnati has had since Boomer Esiason.
Lamar Jackson - Louisville
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Heisman Year: 2019
NFL accolades: Jackson is already one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He was the 2019 MVP. In that season, he broke Michael Vick’s rushing record for a quarterback with 1,206 yards, and later, he became the first signal caller with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
Cam Newton - Auburn
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Heisman Year: 2010
NFL accolades: Newton was the 2011 Offensive Rookie of the Year, 2015 NFL MVP and a three-time Pro Bowl selection. He became the first player in NFL history to accumulate 30,000-plus passing yards and 5,000-plus rushing yards during his career.
Charles Woodson - Michigan
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Heisman Year: 1997
NFL Accolades: Woodson is the only player on this list, for now, to have a bust inside the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. He was also the 1998 Defensive Rookie of the Year, the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year, a member of the 2000s all-decade team, a nine-time Pro Bowler and has a Super Bowl ring with the Green Bay Packers.
