Reliving Alabama's four Heisman Trophy winners' seasons, moments
Alabama has won four Heisman Trophy awards in total to include Mark Ingram (2009), Derrick Henry (2015), DeVonta Smith (2020), and Bryce Young (2021).
These were great statistical years with clutch moments that helped solidify the voters' selections. The team's success mirrored the individual seasons as Alabama won three national championships during these four seasons.
Below we will relive some of the dramatic Heisman moments, and go through the breakout performances that players put on during these magical seasons.
Mark Ingram, Running Back - 2009
Mark Ingram rushed for 1,658 yards with 334 yards receiving during his Heisman season. He had standout games against South Carolina (246 rushing yards), Ole Miss (172 rushing yards), and in the national championship vs. Texas, winning the game's MVP. In total, Ingram had nearly 2,000 all purpose yards and scored 20 touchdowns for the Tide. He averaged over six yards per carry, and was the reliable workhorse in Jim McElwain's pro style offense.
Derrick Henry, Running Back - 2015
Derrick Henry had a record breaking Heisman Trophy season in 2015 setting multiple records that year. Henry set the SEC single season record for rushing yards (2,219), rushing touchdowns (28), and rushing attempts (395). Henry won a tight Heisman race against college football greats Deshaun Watson (Clemson) and Christian McCaffrey (Stanford). Henry capped his season as Alabama beat Clemson in the national championship. Henry rushed for 158 yards and scored 3 touchdowns.
DeVonta Smith, Wide Receiver - 2020
In 2020, DeVonta Smith became the first wide receiver to win the Heisman since Desmond Howard in 1991. Smith led the entire FBS with 117 receptions, 1,856 yards, and 23 touchdowns. Smith was known to be an explosive playmaker who could take the lid off a defense. He was a spectacular route runner who consistently got open and picked up YAC yards. He was a dynamic threat who garnered lots of attention from defenses and still could not be stopped. Smith capped his career with an MVP in the national championship game with 12 catches, 217 yards, and 3 touchdowns.
Bryce Young, Quarterback - 2021
Bryce Young became one of the youngest players in the history of college football to win the Heisman as a 20-year-old sophomore. Young led the country in passing with 4,872 yards, 47 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He threw for 559 yards against Arkansas and 421 yards against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. The Tide came up short in the national championship vs. the Bulldogs, however, as Alabama suffered two key injuries with wide receivers Jameson Williams and John Metchie III being forced out of the lineup. Young followed this season with another solid statistical year. He was selected No. 1 overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2023 NFL draft.
Alabama has a rich history of national championships, All-America selections, and NFL draft picks. However, it was fitting to see the Tide win several Heisman Trophies in the Nick Saban Era. These players capped their record breaking seasons with memorable moments working their way into the hearts of the Alabama faithful.
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There's no secret button for success. You gotta work, and know how to work. … 'When you're coaching young kids, you only got about 20 minutes, then you gotta move on because their mind's on something else. My little guys, it takes me 3-4 months for them to understand. Those same drills I do with high school kids they get it in a week.' COACH STEVE: When can teenagers start lifting weights? What about a private coach? 'Open your mind up to listening': That means you, too, Coach Vaughn likes to have coaches on his team who are dedicated to specific areas like pitching, catching and middle infield. 'I've always known that's the only way to do it right,' he says. 'You can never be a master of everything. I've had my own struggles at the big-league level, had to make changes, had to open my mind up to listening.' A lot of successful adults don't like to be wrong, especially if they're corrected by teenagers. But the best coaches, Vaughn says, will pay attention to what you're saying if they see a player is dedicated to getting better. If we don't know the answer as coaches, we can always consult others and get back to kids and their parents. 'Challenge your coaches,' Vaughn says. 'If you know something is being done wrong, you gotta challenge it. If you're having success, you gotta challenge it. And if there's a coach out there that's not able to bring you into a practice facility and show you what they're teaching, the reason why they won't do is because they don't know what they're talking about.' Don't rely on slivers of yourself on social media; provide a full picture to coaches Near the end of his career, Vaughn said he injected his knee with human growth hormone. According to former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell's report on peformance-enhancing drug use in baseball, which was released in 2007, former Mets clubhouse employee Kirk Radomski said he sold HGH to Vaughn. HGH was added to Major League Baseball's list of banned substances in 2005 but MLB prohibited the use of any prescription medication without a valid prescription in 1971. 'I haven't said a word to them about (the HGH use) but also they haven't asked me,' Vaughn says about his players. 'I would do anything to get back on the field. I don't even consider it really anything factual that it's a testament to what I did in the game, do for the game and in the game. It's just a part of time, in my opinion.' What we do consistently throughout our experiences, he believes, provides a full picture of who someone is. 'Anybody can make a reel of greatness,' he says about athletes promoting themselves on social media. 'We can show our home runs, we can show off our diving plays, we could look like Ken Griffey Jr. What people want to see is: How do you react when things are going wrong? What type of teammate are you? Do you support your people? Those are the things that coaches are looking for. 'It's easy to do things when everything's going right ... When it's hard tells all about you.' The All-American Classic -- where Vaughn is coaching along with other former All-Stars, including fellow baseball dads Ryan Klesko and Tom Gordon -- provides another chance this weekend. Maybe your son or daughter has a big sports tournament somewhere, too. Vaughn loves the Red Sox, but like all of us, he roots for his kids first. 'I get to sit around these guys that are trying to get to where I was and give 'em information and talk and encouragement and knowledge and those things,' he says. 'And I don't think (there's) a better opportunity.' Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons' baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here. Got a question for Coach Steve you want answered in a column? Email him at sborelli@
