Does the Heisman Trophy Winner Always Go on to Have a Successful NFL Career?

Guest Author
Fri, 12/08/2023

 

For a college football player, there’s no greater individual prize than the Heisman Trophy, and while the award has the same level of bias towards quarterbacks as the NFL’s MVP rankings, that’s not to say that every footballer on the field wants to be in contention for the Heisman.

But is winning the trophy a guaranteed route to the top, or a poisoned chalice? If we ignore the most recent winners of the Heisman – they deserve more time to lay the foundations of their professional career – here’s how the new stars who have been handed one of the most prestigious prizes in college sport have fared in the pro ranks.

 

DeVonta Smith (2020)

The former Crimson Tide wide receiver enjoyed a glittering college career, twice being crowned national champion with Alabama and landing Offensive MVP honours in 2020.

It was something of a surprise that Smith wasn't picked until the tenth selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, but so smooth has his transition been into the Philadelphia Eagles’ starting corps that those interested in the world of sports betting with Betfair have been only too keen to back Philly for Super Bowl glory – at odds of 7.8, only the 49ers (4.1) and the Chiefs (7.2) are considered more likely for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

The 25-year-old played a vital role in the Eagles’ run to Super Bowl LVII, where they lost in heartbreaking fashion to Kansas City, and Smith has also showed up nicely during the 2023 season so far – averaging 69.5 yards per game as he looks set for a second successive 1,000-yard campaign.

 

Joe Burrow (2019)

Few Heisman Trophy winners have had a weight of expectation on their shoulders quite like Joe Burrow, who went from NCAA champion with LSU to the starting ranks of the Cincinnati Bengals, who selected him as the first pick of the 2020 Draft.

But to say the 26-year-old hit the ground running would be something of an understatement. In his second season as a pro, Burrow helped the Bengals to snap what was at the time the longest playoff drought in North American sport.

As if that wasn’t enough, Cincinnati went all the way to Super Bowl LVI, with Burrow’s bullet arm serving up 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns.

With a similarly strong 2022 under his belt, Burrow has proven he’s far more than a one-season wonder – he was rewarded in September with a mammoth new contract that makes him the highest-paid player in NFL history.

 

Kyler Murray (2018)

Murray made history in 2019 when he became the first athlete to be picked in the first round of the drafts for both the NFL and MLB.

He chose to take up his deal with the Arizona Cardinals; a decision that has yielded dividends in the form of NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honours in 2019 and two Pro Bowl selections.

The 26-year-old has helped the Cardinals to kick on too, ending their six-year wait for a playoff appearance in 2021.

 

Baker Mayfield (2017)

The successes of the trio of Heisman Trophy winners named above might make you think the award is a guarantee of a triumphant pro career.

But then there’s the cautionary tale of Baker Mayfield, who could not have got off to a better start with the Cleveland Browns.

The quarterback broke the NFL passing touchdowns record for a rookie QB in his very first season, even snapping the Browns’ 19-game losing streak on his debut.

However, a succession of injuries – plus a spiky persona that has led to fallings-out with team management – have seen Mayfield first traded away to the Carolina Panthers and then released from that contract at the end of the 2022 season.

Now 28, Mayfield has seemingly found happiness at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is on course to match his 2018 numbers. But he remains a reminder that Heisman Trophy winners don’t always find the NFL a breeze straight out of the gate…