Baker Mayfield: 2017 Heisman Trophy Winner

Baker Mayfield of the University of Oklahoma was selected on Saturday (Dec. 9) as the 83rd winner of the Heisman Memorial Trophy, an award presented annually by the Heisman Trophy Trust to the most outstanding player in college football.  

The senior quarterback was announced as the 2017 winner of the prestigious honor at the end of ESPN's live broadcast of the Heisman ceremony from Manhattan's PlayStation Theater.  

"It's such an honor," said Mayfield upon winning the award. "It's unbelievable." 

Mayfield is the sixth Sooner Heisman winner, joining Billy Vessels ('52), Steve Owens ('69), Billy Sims('78), Jason White ('03) and Sam Bradford ('08), putting Oklahoma in a tie with USC for the second-most Heismans (Notre Dame and Ohio State each have seven). He's also the first Heisman Trophy winner to start his career as a "walk-on" (non-scholarship) player since athletic scholarships were inaugurated in the 1950s and the first senior to win since Troy Smith in 2006. 

Further adding to his accomplishment, Mayfield--who finished fourth in the Heisman vote in 2015 and third in 2016--is the fifth player to log three top 4 Heisman finishes in his career, joining Heisman legends Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard of Army, Doak Walker of SMU and Herschel Walker of Georgia. 

The 6-1, 222-pounder from Austin, Texas, threw for 4,340 yards and 41 touchdowns, with another 310 yards and five scores on the ground while leading the Sooners to a 12-1 record, the Big 12 title and a berth in the College Football Playoff. His passer rating of 203.76 is the best in Heisman history, shattering the mark of 192.31 set by Robert Griffin III in 2011. 

Ballots were emailed to 870 media personnel across the nation plus 58 Heisman winners and one fan ballot, for a total of 929 electors. The ballots were received and tabulated by the independent accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP. Mayfield polled 2,398 points to capture the award over Bryce Love of Stanford (1,300 points), and 2016 Heisman winner Lamar Jackson of Louisville (793 points). The point total is reached by a system of three points for a first place vote, two for a second and one for a third. 

Mayfield will be officially inducted into the Heisman family at the 83rd annual Heisman Memorial Trophy Dinner Gala on Sunday evening, December 10, 2017, at the Marriott Marquis in New York. 

2017 Heisman Voting Results 
 
PlaceNameSchoolPosClass1st2nd3rdTotal Pts
1.Baker MayfieldOklahomaQBSR73287282,350
2.Bryce LoveStanfordRBJR754212331,300
3.Lamar JacksonLouisvilleQBJR47197258793
4.Saquon BarkleyPenn StateRBJR1573113304
5.Rashaad PennySan Diego St.RBSR73780175
6.Jonathan TaylorWisconsinRBFR273858
7.Mason RudolphOklahoma St.QBSR2142256
8.McKenzie MiltonUCFQBSO4112054
9.Kerryon JohnsonAuburnRBJR0141745
10. Roquan SmithGeorgiaLBJR311738

For more details on the 2017 Heisman Trophy vote, visit HeismanCentral.com

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