Bama’s Bryce Young Wins 2021 Heisman Trophy
Back to Back Alabama Heisman Award Winners
Alabama’s QB Bryce Young parlayed an outstanding 2021 season to win the Heisman Trophy 2021 after leading the Crimson Tide to the SEC title early this month. Young also won the Maxwell Award, given to the best player in college football, and the Davey O’Brien Award, given to the nation’s top quarterback last week.
Young ran away in the voting of this year’s Heisman Trophy, winning the award in a ceremony in New York City on Saturday night. He built a strong resume with several big wins this fall, including a dramatic late overtime comeback vs arch rival Auburn. His best performance came in the SEC title game vs undefeated Georgia, the nation’s top ranked defense.
The sophomore is a former 5-star prospect from California. Young entered the season with huge expectations as the main choice to replace former Crimson Tide QB and NFL 1st-round pick Mac Jones.
During the national coaching convention this summer, Alabama coach Nick Saban let the media know that Young, without even starting a game, would become the highest earning name and image which becomes available to college athletes for the first time this year.
Young not only lived up to the hype, beginning with a 4 TD performance in a season-opening win over then-#14 Miami before going on the road to beat #11 Florida two weeks later. in a dramatic come-from-behind win at Auburn to close out the regular season and then by dominating Georgia and its top ranked defense in the SEC championship game a week later, that Young sealed his Heisman victory.
He showed the ability to keep calm under pressure, avoid the pass rush and find the open receiver. An accurate passer, he completed 68.0% of his attempts with few interceptions. Young’s final credentials included a strong 43 TD passes and only 4 interceptions.
With Young winning this year’s Heisman Trophy, Alabama became the sixth school to win the award in back-to-back seasons. Wide receiver DeVonta Smith won it last year. The Tide’s other recemt Heisman winners include running backs Derrick Henry and Mark Ingram II, all coming during the Nick Saban era.
Michigan defensive end and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Aidan Hutchinson finished second in this year’s voting, followed by Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett and Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud.
On Dec. 31, #1 Alabama will play #4 Cincinnati in the CFP Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.