Although many have tried, only once in the history of the award has a player won the Heisman Trophy twice. Ohio State’s Archie Griffin did it during his junior and senior seasons in the 1970s.
It is now Bryce Young’s turn to try and break through that glass ceiling and claim his second Heisman before likely heading to the NFL. While that would already prove difficult after losing the likes of Jameson Williams and John Metchie in the NFL Draft, Young’s stiffest competition will likely come in the form of his own teammate.
Will Anderson, Jr. is perhaps the best defensive player returning for the 2022 season after a dominant sophomore year in Tuscaloosa. He led the country in tackles for loss (34.5) and sacks (17.5) a year ago on his way to winning the Bronco Nagurski Award as the top defensive player in the country.. He was the leader on a defense that finished seventh in the country in total defense before receiving enough Heisman Trophy votes to finish 5th place.
It’s rare to have single Heisman winner and/or candidate return for another season. It’s surreal to have two legitimate contenders return on the same team.
“I don’t like to compare players, but to have two players that make such a significant impact on our team as those two guys, I don’t recall ever having a circumstance like that,” Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban said last month in Atlanta at SEC Media Days. “We’ve had some great impact players, but never one on offense, one on defense, of the caliber that these guys have been able to play on a consistent basis.”
Anderson’s path to a potential Heisman Trophy is far more difficult than a historically unlikely repeat for Young. Why? Because he plays on defense.
Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson is the only defensive player to ever win the award, and even then he spent time at receiver and returning kicks. In a system that rewards stats, highlight reels and “Heisman moments,” is has become nearly impossible for a defensive player to leave New York in December. Even so, Vegas Insider has Williams tied for fourth in the Heisman odds.
Anderson told ESPN in July that he wants to be the one to change the minds of Heisman voters and make them recognize defensive players as Heisman candidates.
“It’s not really just for me, but for other defensive players to know that we have a chance,” he said. “We are worthy enough to be a Heisman candidate or win a Heisman.”
All eyes will once again be on Alabama as the college football season is quickly approaching. The Crimson Tide is once again favored to take home the College Football Playoff National Championship. However, as Nick Saban chases his eighth title, the story inside the story will be the Heisman race between teammates in Tuscaloosa.
“Well, for me, I am going to approach the season just like I approached it last year,” Anderson said. “I’m not going to go out there and try to be a hero. I am just going to go out there and be myself, be the player that I was when I first got here and just help my teammates play good team football.”
