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Robert Griffin III has many different titles as the quarterback of the Baylor Bears, RG3, Baby Jesus, Super Man, RG-3000, but now he can add Heisman Trophy Winner to that list.The Heisman Trophy winner led the Bears to an improbable season, filled with stunning comeback wins, rivalry wins, record shattering performances, Baylor breaking into the Top 25, and was polished off with an Alamo Bowl bid and a Heisman Trophy.
But RG3 winning the Heisman was no small feat, as he had to beat out sure-fire first overall draft pick and pre-season Heisman favorite, Andrew Luck from Stanford, a machine of a running back out of Alabama in Trent Richardson, a defensive stud from LSU in Tyrann Mathieu, and another monster running back in Montee Ball from Wisconsin.
Every player that was nominated posted a realistic chance of winning, and they all finished with excellent and notable seasons. However, RG3 was able to win the Heisman award for the first time in Baylor school history, and finish off what is expected to be a seamless transition into the NFL.
Griffin III kept a relaxed and casual vibe at the Heisman ceremony, wearing Super Man socks, complete with a cape on the back. When arriving on stage to accept the trophy, he cracked a joke about having nothing to lose, and pushed forward with a humble and direct speech. RG3 thanked his family, friends, his coach, and most importantly Baylor University.
This award nomination speaks volumes for the respect that voters had for Griffin, as Baylor is not in the National Championship, or even a BCS Bowl, like most of the other Heisman finalists. Luck, Richardson, and Mathieu, are all playing in marquee bowl games, and are on much better teams by a large margin. Yet, voters felt that RG3's individual performance was enough to earn the most prestigious award in college football.
From the outside looking in, it appeared that much like the BCS Championship, the Heisman Award was dominated by SEC influence, with three of the last five winners playing for SEC schools. With Griffin competing with the likes of Richardson and Mathieu, both who will be playing in the National Championship this season, he appeared to be outmatched.
However, RG3 managed to win by a comfortable margin, racking up 405 first-place votes.
As a college football fan, is it refreshing to see a player like Griffin III win the Heisman. We here at Beard and Stache send our congratulations to both RG3, and also to Baylor, and hope only for the best for both moving forward.
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