Sports

Louisville’s Lamar Jackson wins the Heisman Trophy

Electrifying Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson won the 2016 Heisman trophy. The announcement was made yesterday, prime time at the Playstation Theater in New York and on ESPN.

Jackson entered the season as a relative unknown, and now he is recognized as college football’s best player this year.

He opened his acceptance speech by saying: “First and foremost…I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”

“To be able to stand up here with all the former winners, I’m extremely proud to represent this class and Louisville as their first Heisman Trophy winner,” said Jackson, who wore a Louisville-red velvet blazer with shiny black lapels. “For my teammates, it’s an award for all of us. I can’t wait to cherish it with all of you.”

Jackson won the award with 2,144 points; Clemson Quarterback Deshaun Watson finished second with 1,524. Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield (361 points), Sooners running back Dede Westbrook (209) and Michigan all-around star Jabrill Peppers (208) placed third through fifth, respectively. Jackson received 79.5 percent of possible points received, the fifth-highest total in the past 50 seasons of Heisman voting, while the gap between Watson and Mayfield was the largest in the past 70 years.

Jackson joins Johnny Manziel (2012) as the only Heisman winners to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Quarterbacks have won the Heisman Trophy in 14 of the past 16 years.

Jackson had a speech prepared, but he stopped at various points to say, “This is crazy.” He got through the written portions while also improvising, saying his speech “started coming from the heart.”

“To be the first person from Louisville to win it, it’s an honor,” he said. “I’m humbled.”

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