TROY DAVIS FOR HEISMAN

[everyyard]

Unfortunately, my most lasting memory of Troy's years in Ames revolve around how much he suffered individually (never winning the Heisman) because ISU was so bad. Did you know that at that time (it's happened since), every D-I college football player who had rushed for over 2000 yards in a season won the Heisman trophy? My gosh, it had never happened before in the history of college football and Troy did it twice! It just goes to show that, unfortunately, the voters did not want to give the Heisman to a player on a losing team...

I loved watching him run as much as everybody and sat through some aweful games to see him, but come on. A LOT of those yards were late in the game against the other teams scrubs and we always had the ball because our defense couldn't stop a JV squad. So, were his numbers impressive...yes. Were they Heisman worthy...only with my ISU tinted glasses on. Look at the scores of those games, a lot were not even close to even being close.

 

[jakemcilroy]

I love the draw play in UNLV video...who would actually believe we were going to throw the ball?!?! Why do you run the draw on 3rd & 14 on your own 22?....because its your best chance to get the first down, which Troy usually did. He was amazing.

 

[jakemcilroy]

I loved watching him run as much as everybody and sat through some aweful games to see him, but come on. A LOT of those yards were late in the game against the other teams scrubs and we always had the ball because our defense couldn't stop a JV squad. So, were his numbers impressive...yes. Were they Heisman worthy...only with my ISU tinted glasses on. Look at the scores of those games, a lot were not even close to even being close.

I agree, but you can't blame the staff for not throwing it and continuing to hand off to Troy when that was our best offense.

 

[JunoSosa]

Troy Davis Sports Illustrated article

Found this-- it's a good one.

 

[everyyard]

I agree, but you can't blame the staff for not throwing it and continuing to hand off to Troy when that was our best offense.

I just think the stars aligned for troy. One of the greatest O-lines ever at ISU. A horrific defense that couldn't stop anything so the Offense always had the ball. Lack of a QB that could put it into receivers hands deep. A coach looking to generate excitement and a reason to watch ISU football again. A fan base looking for something to watch during ISU football again. And, a University willing to play along academically. He did have talent, but it was the perfect storm that created the legend.

 

[kingcy]

He would sign autographs before class. Lets just say he had a lot of help getting through school.

 

[dunar]

Troy Davis Sports Illustrated article

Found this-- it's a good one.

Great find!!!

 

[c.y.c.l.o.n.e.s]

Adding fuel to the fire....

I realize that he had a learning disability, but he DID reportedly only score a 6 out 50 on the NFL Wonderlic test. 20 is considered average.

Only one that I know of that was lower??? Darin Davis reportedly scored a 4.

 

[wartknight]

One of the inventors of the Yard-O-Meter was the older brother of Aaron Kampman. Too bad he went to Iowa

 

[dunar]

NFL Wonderlic test

Wonderlic is a general aptitude test. 20 is average for football players. 50 is the top score. You get 12 minutes to answer the 50 questions... go!

 

[dunar]

One of the inventors of the Yard-O-Meter was the older brother of Aaron Kampman.

...and a second-cousin of mine. I was a senior in high school in the fall of '95, and even though I knew I was going to ISU, I had zero interest in football (it was the mid-90's, I was still "alternative", cut me some slack...) But I remember my dad making a big deal about the relative that was part of the group that did the yard-o-meter. Beginning of my passion for ISU football? Probably not, but I absolutely love spending Saturdays (and some Thursadys) at JTS with my dad :smile:

(Interestingly enough, it was a discussion about Aaron that made me find out what a second (third, etc.) cousin was, and the whole "once-removed" thing...)

 

[kurecabinboy]

I loved watching him run as much as everybody and sat through some aweful games to see him, but come on. A LOT of those yards were late in the game against the other teams scrubs and we always had the ball because our defense couldn't stop a JV squad. So, were his numbers impressive...yes. Were they Heisman worthy...only with my ISU tinted glasses on. Look at the scores of those games, a lot were not even close to even being close.

This was the classic argument against Troy winning the Heisman in '95 and '96. It's pure bunk and I can't believe this is coming from a cyclone fan now. In '95, ISU played 5 top 15 teams, including a #1 Nebraska team that (from memory, so I may get called on this) didn't allow another back to rush for over 100 yards against them. Troy was also pulled from the UNLV game midway through the third quarter when he ran 80 yards for a touchdown. He had 302 yards in the game and could have had MUCH more.

In '96, we had an aweful defense again and only won two games, but we were 14 points away from having a winning season. ISU hung tough in A LOT of games that year and there were only a couple instances where any second-teamers were on the field for the other team. The only game where that may have happened was against Nebraska and Troy didn't have a big game. In '96, the "scrubs" and "game-out-of-reach" argument held absolutely no water.

The fact is that any back that rushes for over 2000 yards is a legitimate Heisman candidate, regardless of his team's record. It's a huge milestone in college football that few have reached, much less in back-to-back years.

 

[Phaedrus]

agree to disagree

one soap box calling out to another.

+1 rep to you.

A - You guys who criticize Z are being classless!

B - You guys who criticize people who criticize Z are being classless!

C - You guys who criticize people, who criticize people, who criticize Z are being classless!

D - You guys who criticize people, who criticize people, who criticize people who criticize Z are being classless!

Etc...

Actually, it's kind of funny if you back off and look at it from a certain perspective....

Thanks for viewing it with the perspective it deserves....

 

[ajk4st8]

wow the UNLV game.... that could have been the record had he not sat basically the entire second half.

Graston Norris rushed for like 121 and Jahi Arnold had like 95 yards that day too if I remember right.

Then again I was 12.

 

[usedcarguy]

Those were the good ole days with Steve Loney coaching the o-line. I was fortunate enough to get to watch Barry Sanders in Ames. Troy created the same kind of buzz from the stand point that every time he touched the ball, something big was probably going to happen. Their styles were different - with Barry, the big challenge was getting a hand on him as he could stop and change directions faster than anyone; and Troy, who could drag defenders 5-7 yards at which point he would either go down or they would fall off. He wasn't fast, which was his achillies' heel in the NFL, but his pure strength and punishing style were certainly fun to watch. As crappy as the defenses were during those years, the games were still a blast. You knew we were going to hang points on the board.

 

[booyaa187]

I am from STL and was at the Mizzou game his soph year when he went over 2000 yards. I remember the Cyclones had the "Troy-O-Meter" (correction, I guess it was the yard-o-meter, my memory fades quickly) and after he went over 2000 yards, the then had a play where he lost 2 or 3 yards and they had to dial it back to 1998. My friend who was with me was loving that (Mizzou fan).

We had good tickets because my Dad was friends with one of the parents of the Mizzou offensive line (Craig Heimberger from Belleville, IL). Afterwards, Craig told us that Troy was so good because of his size. He mentioned that Troy was so small that he would be at the 2nd level of the defense before they could even realize where he was at.

After the game everyone huddled around the Cyclone locker room waiting for Troy to come out. He came out and talked to some fans and everyone started chanting Heisman, Heisman, Heisman. He then stuck around and signed autrographs for at least an hour. He signed my hat and ask my name so he could put "To Chris, Troy Davis. "

Not a great story, but one of the rare times I have something worth while to contribute to a thread.

 

[booyaa187]

One more thing, I still have the newspaper from Columbia that Saturday where they had a really cool feature on Troy and had a break down of each game and how many yards/TD's he had. Then they diagramed the "bread and butter" play they used for Troy and how his cut back ability made him so good.