Will Ingram Reverse the Heisman Curse?

University of Alabama running back Mark Ingram buried his face in his hands, overwhelmed after being announced as the recipient of the 2009 Heisman Trophy. He approached the podium on stage with tears flowing from his dark brown eyes after being recognized as the best college football player in the nation. In this moment of bliss for Ingram and his family and friends, viewers had to wonder whether or not the award was a blessing or a curse for the college sophomore.

Many Heisman Trophy winners have had disastrous careers once they’ve entered the NFL. Before 2004, Jason White (2003), Eric Crouch (2001) and Chris Weinke (2000) were some highly touted players that won the award. Out of the three quarterbacks, the only one to play a down in pro football was Weinke, who played in 29 games, throwing 26 interceptions.

The Heisman curse is not only limited to one position, as wide receiver Desmond Howard (1991) had more fumbles than receiving touchdowns at the end of a 10-year career, while running back Rashaan Salaam (1994) failed to produce after surpassing the 1,000-yard rushing mark his rookie year. He was cut after only four seasons, moving on to unsuccessful years in the short-lived XFL and the CFL.

I won’t deny that there have been marginal winners once in a while. Herschel Walker put up with the Chicago Bears and Ricky Williams was a solid option in the backfield before he decided to retire for a few years. However, these types of winners are few and far between. Of the 74 individual winners, only five have earned a spot in the Hall of Fame, the most recent being 1988 winner Barry Sanders.

An earlier onset of the curse seems to be an emerging trend, as five of the last six Heisman winners have lost in the BCS Championship game. Before Ingram helped the Alabama Crimson Tide defeat the Texas Longhorns for the national title, no Heisman trophy winner had been able to lead their team to a national championship since 2004, when USC quarterback Matt Leinart defeated the Oklahoma Sooners.

Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow is the latest victim of the new form of the Heisman award. The two-time nominee and 2006 winner had a dismal performance in his professional audition at the Senior Bowl. Coming out of the hospital after being treated for strep throat, Tebow fumbled the ball twice and was 8 for 12 with 50 yards through the air.

Ingram is the third consecutive sophomore to win college football’s most prestigious award, but will he be capable of defying the curse throughout his college career, or will a setback occur should he reach the NFL? There are no guarantees, only time will tell.