The Book of Heisman Trophy Recipients: The Life of Jim Thorpe

Introduction   I compiled the information in this book to explain why the Heisman Memorial Trophy Award was created. This book is a must for football fans. I also added The Life of Jim Thorpe, who reportedly began his Athletic career at Carlisle in 1907 when he walked past the track and beat all the school's High Jumpers with an impromptu 5-ft 9-in Jump still in Street clothes. His earliest recorded Track and Field results come from 1907. He also competed in football, baseball, lacrosse and even ballroom dancing, winning the 1912 Intercollegiate Ballroom Dancing Championship. The Heisman Trophy is Awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in Collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club Trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's Athletic Director, John Heisman (former Brown University and University of Pennsylvania player; head football Coach at Oberlin College, Auburn University, Clemson University, Rice University, and the University of Pennsylvania; and football, basketball, and baseball head Coach and Athletic Director at Georgia Tech). The Award is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust in early December before the postseason Bowl Games. It is the oldest of several overall Awards in college football, including the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, and the AP Player of the Year. The Heisman and the AP Player of the Year are the only Awards to honor the most outstanding player, while the Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award recognize the best player, and the Archie Griffin Award recognizes the most valuable player. All football players in all divisions of college football are eligible for the Award, though winners usually represent Division I Football Bowl Subdivision schools. There are three categories of persons eligible to vote for the Award winner: Sports Journalists Previous Heisman winners Fans the survey collected by ESPN.com constitutes one Heisman vote. Therlee Gipson