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QB Troy Smith (2006 Heisman Trophy Winner)

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When you stop to think about how many great athletes/young men have set foot on the field at tOSU...him being only the sixth to win the Heisman really says something.
The award isn't just for Troy though. It's for every person who helped him become the athlete/young man that he is today and he seems to completely understand that.
So for Troy, this team, staff, and all the fans to win a NC this year...I cannot remember a more complete and special season.
 
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It just hit me...

again...

This man just won a Heisman Trophy, as a quarterback, having played a significant part of the season with an injured thumb on his throwing hand.

And I never heard him mention it except when he was asked about it, and even then he blew it off. No excuses. No doubt. No peer.
 
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Official Site

Smith Wins 2006 Heisman Trophy

Troy Smith becomes second Big Ten Quarterback, seventh Buckeye, to win prestigious honor.
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Troy Smith will be returning from New York as Ohio State's seventh Heisman Trophy winner.

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[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Sans Serif] HEADLINES[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif][SIZE=-2]Smith Wins 2006 Heisman Trophy[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif][SIZE=-2]Troy Smith Announced As A Finalist For The Cingular All-America Player of the Year[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif][SIZE=-2]Troy Smith Named Walter Camp Player of the Year[/SIZE][/FONT]

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NEW YORK (AP) -For Ohio State and Troy Smith, it's been that kind of year.
The Buckeyes were No. 1 from start to finish and their star quarterback had no real challenger in winning the Heisman Trophy.
Smith was a runaway winner Saturday night as the best player in college football, just two years after nearly derailing his career by taking money from a booster.
The senior quarterback moved to the front of the Heisman race in September with a flawless performance against Texas and finished off a perfect regular season by throwing four touchdown passes against Michigan.
Now, there's only one thing left for Smith to do: Beat Florida for the national championship on Jan. 8.
"Normally, I'm pretty cool in pressure situations, but my heart is pounding really fast now," said Smith, who had big hugs for his mother, sister and coach Jim Tressel before taking the podium for his speech.
"I'm at a loss for words. I just can't believe this is happening. ... It means everything. Just to be here in this situation. I love everybody back home in Columbus."
Like so many of the victories Smith has led the Buckeyes to this season, the Heisman win was a rout.
He received 801 first-place votes, the second most ever, and 1,662 points more than second-place finisher Darren McFadden of Arkansas, making it the second-most lopsided Heisman vote. Only O.J. Simpson's 1,750-point victory in 1968 was more onesided.
Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn was third and West Virginia running back Steve Slaton was fourth.


Smith also received 86.7 percent of the first-place votes, a record, and his point total of 2,540 places third in Heisman history behind Simpson (2,853) and fellow Southern California tailback Reggie Bush, who had 2,541 last season The 22-year-old Smith is the sixth player from Ohio State to win the Heisman and first since tailback Eddie George in 1995. And it's the school's seventh Heisman - Archie Griffin won two in 1974-75 - tying Notre Dame and Southern California for the most.
USC had been on a Heisman run, winning two straight and three of the last four, before Smith stepped in. Just like USC's Bush and Matt Leinart, and Oklahoma's Jason White in '03, Smith will play for the national title as a Heisman winner.
It's been quite a journey.
Smith came to Ohio State as part of a heralded recruiting class in 2002, but his signing was little more than a footnote. His claim to fame was being Ted Ginn Jr.'s quarterback at Glenville High School.
Smith was labeled an "athlete" coming out of high school, the type of player who might ultimately find a home at wide receiver or defensive back.
Even Tressel wasn't sure he'd play quarterback, but he saw potential.
But Smith, a foster child as a teen with a quick temper, also had a penchant for finding trouble. After getting kicked off the basketball team at a private high school for elbowing an opponent, he transferred out of the suburbs of Cleveland to inner-city Glenville High. Smith, who is black, said the white opposing player used a racial slur against him.
At Ohio State, Smith was involved in a fight outside a dorm in the fall of 2003 and found guilty of disorderly conduct.
On the field, Smith couldn't beat out Justin Zwick, the highly touted blue-chipper from the '02 class, at the start of the 2004 season. But when the Buckeyes lost three straight and Zwick got hurt, Smith got his chance and righted the Buckeyes with his running and passing.
Then he tripped himself up again.
An NCAA investigation determined he took $500 from an Ohio State booster in the spring of 2004. He could have been gone from the Buckeyes for good. Ultimately, he had to repay the money and sit out a bowl game and the first game of 2005.
Back from suspension, he finally became a star.
Smith finished the '05 season with consecutive 300-yard passing games in victories over Michigan and Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, essentially kicking off his '06 Heisman campaign.
Once known more his speed and elusiveness, Smith's become the consummate pocket-passer. Accurate and unflappable, he's fourth in the nation in passer rating (167.9) with 2,507 yards passing and 30 TD passes.
He heads into the BCS championship game 25-2 as a starter, and - Gators beware - Smith has been at his best when the Buckeyes have needed him most.
The first Ohio State quarterback in 70 years to lead the Buckeyes to three straight victories over Michigan, Smith had 1,051 total yards with three touchdown passes and another TD run against the Wolverines.
He's 11-1 as a starter against ranked opponents, with a chance to improve on that mark in the biggest game of his career in Arizona against Florida.
 
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Official Site

Troy Smith Announced As A Finalist For The Cingular All-America Player of the Year

Winner to be determined exclusively by fan voting
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Vote for Troy at www.espnallamerica.com


Dec. 9, 2006
Atlanta -- Four nominees have been announced for the 2006 Cingular All-America Player of the Year, and only fan voting will determine the top college football player in the nation.
Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, Rutgers running back Ray Rice, and Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith have been selected as the four finalists for the Cingular All-America Player of the Year by a panel of ESPN college football analysts.
Fans can determine the winner by text messaging "VOTE" to "87654" on their wireless phone and casting their votes for the nominees. Fans who participated in the Player of the Week voting during the season will automatically receive a text message with the four candidates. This year's winner will join former Texas quarterback Vince Young (2005) and former Texas running back Cedric Benson (2004) on the list of Cingular All-America Player of the Year award recipients.
Voting for the Cingular All-America Player of the Year is open until January 5 at 11:59 p.m. (EST). The selection process will culminate during the BCS National Championship game on FOX on January 8 when the Cingular All-America Player of the Year will be announced.
"We have a star-studded group of finalists for this year's Cingular All-America Player of the Year," said Tim McGhee, director of national sponsorships for Cingular Wireless. "College football fans will have a tough choice choosing among these outstanding players. What distinguishes this award is that the fans get to choose the winner - and Cingular is proud to provide the technology behind the voting."
The credentials of the candidates are impressive, as they have led their teams to a combined record of 42-7 and have accounted for over 13,000 yards of total offense and 145 touchdowns in 2006. Below is a statistical overview of each player's qualifications:

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Colt Brennan - Junior - Quarterback - Hawaii
Brennan completed 373 of 515 passes for 4,990 yards and 53 touchdowns during the regular season, and is just one touchdown shy of tying the NCAA single season record. He leads the nation in touchdowns, passing efficiency (182.80), total offense (410.8 ypg) and completion percentage (72.1%), while ranking second in passing yards per game (383.8). Brennan, who was named the WAC Player of the Year after leading the Warriors to a 10-3 record, was nominated for Cingular All-America Player of the Week during week 10 of the 2006 season.
Brady Quinn - Senior - Quarterback - Notre Dame
A two-time winner of the Cingular All-America Player of the Week during the regular season, Quinn ranks third in the nation in touchdown passes (35). He has completed 274 of 432 pass attempts for 3,278 yards, averaging 273.2 yards per game and compiling a 151.59 pass efficiency rating. A finalist for the Cingular All-America Player of the Year for the second straight season, Quinn has led the Fighting Irish to a 10-2 record and a berth in the Sugar Bowl in 2006.
Ray Rice - Sophomore - Running Back - Rutgers
Rice rushed for 1,624 yards and 19 touchdowns while helping lead Rutgers to a 10-2 record, the Scarlet Knights' second 10-win season in school history. Rice kicked off the 2006 season by winning the week one Cingular All-America Player of the Week after rushing for 201 yards and three touchdowns in a win at North Carolina. A first-team all-Big East selection, Rice ranks fourth in the nation in rushing (135.3 ypg) and sixth in scoring while averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
Troy Smith - Senior - Quarterback - Ohio State
Smith completed 67.0% percent of his passes for 2,507 yards and a school-record 30 touchdowns against just five interceptions to lead Ohio State to a perfect 12-0 record and berth in the BCS National Championship game. The 2006 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Smith has ranks fourth in the nation in passing efficiency (167.87) and fifth in touchdowns. He has complied a 25-2 career record as a starter and is the Big Ten career leader in passing efficiency. He was named Cingular All-America Player of the Week following the top-ranked Buckeyes' 42-39 win over No. 2 Michigan.
Cingular customers can visit Cingular's NCAA? Football Portal on their wireless handset to view video highlights of the candidates, retrieve photos, check scoreboards, track their favorite teams and download school ringtones. Additional information on the Player of the Year candidates can be found on the Web at espnallamerica.com.
Joining Quinn, Rice and Smith on the Cingular All-America Player of the Week winners' list this season were Michigan wide receiver Mario Manningham, Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson, Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, BYU quarterback John Beck, Arkansas running back Darren McFadden and Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman.
 
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Link

Coronation is a culmination

By WENDELL BARNHOUSE

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/JULIE JACOBSON
Troy Smith can become the only player in Ohio State history to win the Heisman and a national championship in the same season.

NEW YORK -- As affirmations go, winning the Heisman Trophy rates high on any list.
Acquiring the most famous award in college sports puts the owner into one of sport's most exclusive clubs and guarantees a place in history.
It was no surprise that Ohio State's Troy Smith's name was called as the Heisman winner Saturday night at the Nokia Theater on Times Square. As they say, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.
Considering his difficult adolescence and his obstacles -- some self-made -- making it anywhere is certification of Smith's resilience and resolve.
"I had a lot of thoughts and feelings rushing through my head and through my heart," said Smith, wearing a tie with Ohio State colors -- scarlet and gray. "Any kid in any situation can do anything they put their mind to. The sky's the limit. Only you can stop you."
Smith's margin over Arkansas sophomore running back Darren McFadden was 2,540 points to 878. Smith received a record 86.7 percent of the first-place votes. Southern California's Reggie Bush received 84.9 percent last season.
Smith led Ohio State to a 12-0 record and a spot in the national championship game against Florida. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound senior has 30 touchdown passes with just five interceptions and is fourth in passing efficiency.
The Cleveland native graduated with a degree in communications last spring and has been working on a second degree in Black Studies this semester.
None of that seemed possible at various times in Smith's life.
"It's like a dream to see my little baby doing all these things," his mother, Tracy, said. "He could have turned the wrong way but he turned the right way."
When Troy was 9 years old, Tracy Smith was a single mother unable to handle a number of personal problems. Troy wound up being adopted by his youth league football coach, Irvin White.
White recognized the talent and the leadership and made Smith a quarterback of the Glenville A's. He has spent much of his football career trying to prove he belonged at the position.
Smith was the last player signed by Ohio State in February 2002. He was listed as "athlete" instead of "quarterback." The Buckeyes had also signed high school All-American quarterback Justin Zwick.
During Ohio State's 2002 championship season, Smith was a redshirt, doing grunt work on scout teams. In 2003 as a freshman, he returned kicks and played running back.
When Smith finally got the chance to play quarterback as a sophomore in 2004, he became a fan favorite by leading the Buckeyes past Michigan. But the year ended with a suspension when he admitted to taking $500 from a booster.
One Heisman voter said he wouldn't place Smith on his ballot because of that incident. During Smith's freshman year, when he admittedly partied too much, he was convicted of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
The sixth Ohio State player to win a Heisman isn't without blemishes. Considering his background, cutting the 22-year-old some slack seems relevant.
"My biggest hurdle was my attitude," Smith said. "I was throwing temper tantrums after I got back with mom. I had to go to counseling. I had a lot of pent-up anger."
A counselor had him write "I am not angry" over and over. He has gone about becoming a winning quarterback in the same methodical way.
During his sophomore and junior seasons, he was known as much for his running ability as his passing. Before his senior season, he made it clear he wasn't just a shorter version of former Texas quarterback Vince Young.
While anchored in the pocket, Smith was far from a statue. He used his mobility to evade the rush, but was patient enough to search for a second, third or fourth receiver.
With one more victory, Smith will become the first Buckeye to win a Heisman and a national championship in the same season. And Ohio State would become the first No. 1 team to defeat three No. 2 teams in the same season.
"I think a quarterback is what you make it," Smith said. "A quarterback is in your heart. A quarterback is your mind. A quarterback is your arm. All of the above."
 
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Link

HEISMAN TROPHY NOTES

Run DMc gets a running start on next year's race

By WENDELL BARNHOUSE

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

NEW YORK - Why wait? With Troy Smith in possession of the 2006 Heisman Trophy, the 2007 list of candidates is already being written.
Near the top of that list will be Arkansas sophomore running back Darren McFadden. Even though he finished a distant second in the '06 Heisman voting, his exposure and experience should serve him well for next season.
"It's a great honor to be here as a sophomore behind two seniors," McFadden said. "It was sort of a surprise to me to finish second as a sophomore. If I work hard like I've been doing, I expect to be back next year."
McFadden, aka Run DMc, wound up as Smith's runner-up thanks to a strong second half of the season. A toe injury suffered in early August limited McFadden in the season opener against Southern Cal.
But once he became healthy, McFadden started to dominate. He finished with 1,558 yards rushing, averaging 119.8 yards per game with 14 touchdowns.
McFadden also gained attention thanks to the "Wildcat" formation used by Arkansas. It basically made McFadden a single-wing tailback. Lining up at quarterback in the shotgun formation, McFadden was a pass-run threat. He completed six of eight passes for 72 yards and three touchdowns.
"Coach [Houston] Nutt did a great job moving me around, quarterback, wide receiver," McFadden said. "Playing quarterback was fun this year. It was something I did while I was growing up, so I was comfortable with it."
Finishing second in the Heisman voting made Arkansas history. The school's previous two best finishes in the voting were a pair of ninth places, defensive tackle Lloyd Phillips in 1966 and quarterback Lamar McHan in 1953.
Briefly
Notre Dame's Heisman drought continues. It has been 19 years since Tim Brown won the school's last Heisman Trophy in 1987. Brown ended a 22-year gap. Prior to that, Notre Dame's last Heisman winner was John Huarte in 1964. Notre Dame's Raghib Ismail finished second in the 1990 Heisman voting.
Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, who along with Smith was a preseason Heisman favorite: "I would have voted for Troy," Quinn said. "He did a great job all year, playing big in big games, getting his team to the national championship game. He handled the pressure all year."
StiffArmTrophy.com projected that Troy Smith would record the biggest landslide in Heisman Trophy history. The Web site contacted 136 of the 923 Heisman voters (one vote is an Internet-based fan survey) and recorded their votes. It projected that Smith would pick up 94 percent of the possible points. His actual percentage was 91.6. That's just behind Reggie Bush, who received 91.8 percent of the points last year.
Smith, the 17th Heisman winner on an undefeated team, is 25-2 as Ohio State's starting quarterback. During his 47-game career, Smith has thrown for 54 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions.
 
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Take your place in history, Troy
Jason Lloyd Journal Register News Service
12/10/2006


http://www.news-herald.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=1698&dept_id=21848&newsid=17572667

NEW YORK - As a boy, with fresh scars and deep wounds still exposed within, Troy Smith scribbled on a piece of paper "I'm not mad, I'm not mad, I'm not mad" over and over and over.
Abandoned by his mother, then taken in by a foster father and later, his true father figure in Ted Ginn Sr., Troy Smith had plenty of wars to wage on himself.
Smith, indeed, was mad. Angry at a world that would force a boy to grow up without a mother or father. Angry with a mother who would leave her own son. Angry over the rage inside him that had no release.
Still, he wrote ...
"I'm not angry, I'm not angry, I'm not angry ..."
It took years. Many, many years and tears. But finally, the hurt is gone and the anger has subsided. All that is left is Troy Smith and John William Heisman.
Two Cleveland kids, together forever.
Smith became the 72nd winner of the Heisman Trophy and Ohio State's seventh recipient last night, tying it with USC and Notre Dame for the most winners from one school. While his numbers weren't always staggering, his consistency was and so was his ability to always make the right decisions on the field. Perhaps most importantly, he was always the star in big games, making the vote not much of a contest.
As expected, Smith's victory was a runaway after receiving 2,540 points (801 first-place votes). Arkansas tailback Darren McFadden, just a sophomore, was a surprising second with 878 points (45 first-place votes) and Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn finished third, receiving 13 first-place votes and 782 total points. Smith's margin of victory of 1,662 points is second only to O.J. Simpson's victory in 1968, when Simpson won by 1,750 points.
Smith spent much of this year deflecting Heisman Trophy talk. Now he can finally embrace it.
"I haven't spent that much time dreaming about it," Smith said. "But now that it's here, I'll spend time dreaming about it tonight."
With the national championship game still to come, Smith has thrown for 2,507 yards and a school record 30 touchdowns this year. In a season when it was difficult to even find a worthy No. 2 candidate, Smith separated himself from the field early and maintained the lead throughout the season.
His signature play, ironically in his worst game of the season, occurred when he scrambled away from pressure against Penn State, retreated 15 yards and fired a perfect 50-yard dart to freshman receiver Brian Robiskie for a touchdown.
"The good news about Troy is he's had so much experience, even when he doesn't do something as well as he could, he can instantly correct himself because he's been there," coach Jim Tressel said. "Sometimes a guy that does it not so well the first time, it sets him back a little bit mentally. But Troy is so tough mentally, so tough physically, so competitive, so focused."
Smith's arm strength is comparable to any quarterback in the country, as is his ability to win. He has thrown for 1,465 yards, 11 touchdowns and one interception in Ohio State's five biggest games during his time as a starter (three vs. Michigan, Notre Dame last year and Texas this year).
Smith's ascension from the bottom to the top took two years. He took $500 from a booster and was suspended for two games, the Alamo Bowl that capped the 2004 season and the opener in 2005. He is believed to be the first player to serve an NCAA suspension during his career and come all the way back to win the Heisman Trophy.
As Smith's name was announced in the Nokia Theatre last night in Times Square, even Tressel was caught with a little tear in his eye.
"That was just a moment where we could hug one another and love one another," Tressel said. "I know how I feel and how he feels. It was just a celebration."
Smith took the fact he could get Tressel to show some emotion as a compliment.
"If you get into a situation where you can shake and rattle him, you've done something," Smith said. "He is the embodiment of being even-keel all the way through. Being in a situation where it's 90 degrees and you have on a sweater vest and a tie up to your neck, that speaks volumes."
Smith was accompanied Saturday night by his mother, Tracy; his sister, Brittany; his foster brother, Rod Smith (a former Ohio State player); his high school coach, Ted Ginn Sr.; his childhood friend, Mikal Baker and his principal from Glenville High School. Also in attendance was Tressel and his wife, Ellen.
"A lot of my childhood friends came," Smith said. "I've got a good supporting cast."
It's that cast that made this day possible. From his foster father, Irvin White, who bridged the years until Smith's reunion with his mother, Tracy, with whom Smith has since reconnected. Now the two have forged a strong bond that likely won't be broken again.
After the announcement, no one shouted louder last night than Tracy and Brittany.
"We're a loud family," Smith said. "The Smith family is a loud family whether you like it or not. I wouldn't want it any other way."
 
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Just like Herbstriet said last night...If the Browns don't draft Troy (no matter where they are and if he is still availabe) the front office people are completely stupid and should be fired.....Troy could help out the Browns so much....and bring fans in the stands...
 
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