Lamar Jackson made history last year when he was named Louisville's first Heisman Trophy winner. He'll become the 15th Heisman winner to return to college when he takes the field on Sept. 2 for Louisville's season opener against Purdue.
If Jackson can win the Heisman again in 2017, he'd be only the second player ever with two Heismans. Ohio State running back Archie Griffin won it in 1974 and 1975, after his junior and senior seasons. The College Football Hall of Famer ran for more than 2,000 yards and scored 20 touchdowns in those two seasons.
Archie Griffin is the only two-time Heisman winner.
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Griffin's status as the only repeat Heisman honoree doesn't mean that other Heisman winners have dissapointed on their return. Far from it.
Nine of the other 13 returnees still finished in the top six of the award's voting the following year. Some even performed better, statistically speaking.
Here are the numbers for each Heisman returnee from their award-winning seasons and their following years, per :
| YEARS | HEISMAN WINNER | POSITION | SCHOOL | HEISMAN STATS | RETURNING STATS | HEISMAN FINISH IN RETURN YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | Lamar Jackson | QB | Louisville | 3,543 passing yards, 56.2%, 30 TDs, nine INTs, 1,571 rushing yards, 21 rushing touchdowns | ??? | ??? |
| 2013-14 | Jameis Winston | QB | Florida State | 4,057 passing yards, 66.9%, 40 TDs, 10 INTs, 219 rushing yards, four rushing TDs | 3,907 passing yards, 65.3%, 25 TDs, 18 INTs, 65 rushing yards, three rushing TDs | 6th |
| 2012-13 | Johnny Manziel | QB | Texas A&M | 3,707 passing yards, 68%, 26 TDs, nine INTs, 1,410 rushing yards, 21 rushing TDs | 4,114 passing yards, 69.9%, 37 TDs, 13 INTs, 759 rushing yards, nine rushing TDs | 5th |
| 2009-10 | Mark Ingram | RB | Alabama | 1,658 rushing yards, 6.1 YPC, 17 TDs, 334 receiving yards, three receiving TDs | 875 rushing yards, 5.5 YPC, 13 TDs, 282 receiving yards, one receiving TD | N/A |
| 2008-09 | Sam Bradford | QB | Oklahoma | 4,720 passing yards, 67.9%, 50 TDs, eight INTs, 47 rushing yards, five rushing TDs | 562 passing yards, 56.5%, two TDs, zero INTs, four rushing yards, zero rushing TDs | N/A |
| 2007-08 | Tim Tebow | QB | Florida | 3,286 passing yards, 66.9%, 32 TDs, six INTs, 895 rushing yards, 23 rushing TDs | 2,746 passing yards, 64.4%, 30 TDs, four INTs, 673 rushing yards, 12 rushing TDs | 3rd |
| 2004-05 | Matt Leinart | QB | USC | 3,322 passing yards, 65.3%, 33 TDs, six INTs, three rushing TDs | 3,815 passing yards, 65.7%, 28 TDs, eight INTs, six rushing TDs | 3rd |
| 2003-04 | Jason White | QB | Oklahoma | 3,846 passing yards, 61.6%, 40 TDs, 10 INTs, one rushing TD | 3,205 passing yards, 65.4%, 35 TDs, nine INTs, zero rushing TDs | 3rd |
| 1990-91 | Ty Detmer | QB | BYU | 5,188 passing yards, 64.2%, 41 TDs, 28 INTs, four rushing TDs | 4,031 passing yards, 61.8%, 35 TDs, 12 INTs, four rushing TDs | 3rd |
| 1978-79 | Billy Sims | RB | Oklahoma | 1,762 rushing yards, 7.6 YPC, 20 TDs, 35 receiving yards | 1,506 rushing yards, 6.7 average, 22 TDs, 42 receiving yards | 2nd |
| 1974-75 | Archie Griffin | RB | Ohio State | 1,695 rushing yards, 6.6 YPC, 12 TDs, 77 receiving yards | 1,450 rushing yards, 5.5 YPC, four TDs, 170 receiving yards | 1st |
| 1963-64 | Roger Staubach | QB | Navy | 1,702 passing yards, 66.7%, seven TDs, seven INTs, 371 rushing yards, nine rushing TDs | 1,131 passing yards, 58.3%, four TDs, 10 INTs, -1 rushing yards, two rushing TDs | N/A |
| 1950-51 | Vic Janowicz | RB/QB | Ohio State | 314 rushing yards, 2.8 YPC, four rushing TDs, 17 receiving yards, 561 passing yards, 41.6%, 12 passing TDs, seven INTs | 376 rushing yards, 3.5 YPC, one rushing TD, 126 receiving yards, 74 passing yards, 28%, two passing TDs, three INTs | N/A |
| 1948-49 | Doak Walker | RB | SMU | 598 rushing yards, 4.9 YPC, eight TDs, 284 receiving yards, three receiving TDs | 1949 stats not available | 3rd |
| 1945-46 | Doc Blanchard | RB | Army | 722 rushing yards, 7.1 YPC, 16 TDs, 166 receiving yards, one receiving TD | 613 rushing yards, 5.1 YPC, nine TDs, 166 receiving yards, one receiving TD | 4th |
Eight of the 15 returnees have played since the turn of the century, including four this decade. Jackson is the 10th quarterback to have a shot at repeating.
Ty Detmer and Billy Sims stand out as particularly compelling cases to have challenged for the hardware a second time. Detmer followed up his then-record 5,188-yard passing season in 1990 with another stellar season in 1991. He again threw for more than 4,000 yards while cutting his interceptions by more than half. That wasn't enough to hold off Michigan's dual threat wide receiver/kick returner Desmond Howard for the 1991 award.
As for Sims, who lost the 1979 race to USC running back Charles White, the senior posted his second consecutive 1,500-yard season for the No. 3 Sooners. His second-place finish is behind only Griffin for best follow-up for a returning Heisman winner.
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While 2007 Heisman winner Tim Tebow finished third in the 2008 voting, he still got to lift a trophy at the end of the year when his Gators won the 2008 BCS title. Tebow is the only returner to win a national championship the year after winning the Heisman.
Tim Tebow won the Heisman in 2007 and the national championship in 2008.
Bradford injured his shoulder twice in 2009 and played in only three games, fewer than anyone on this list.
Another good season for Louisville's Jackson is needed for the Cardinals to be a challenger for the ACC title. A lot will have to go right for him to lift a second-straight Heisman. But another standout season wouldn't be uncommon.
