Heisman curse
The Heisman Curse is the idea that when a college football player wins the Heisman Trophy, bad things tend to follow. People say the winner’s team often loses its next big bowl game, and the player may have a weak or short pro career.
Bowl-game trend: Some years ago (around 2003–2008), six Heisman winners went to bowl games with a combined record of 1 win and 5 losses. Five of those six teams were favorites to win the national championship. This fed the belief that the curse might be real.
NFL careers: Many Heisman winners did not have great professional careers, at least for a while. But there are plenty who did very well too. Notable names with mixed results include Matt Leinart, Rashaan Salaam, and Ty Detmer, but there are stars like Barry Sanders, Charles Woodson, Eddie George, Bo Jackson, and O. J. Simpson who did great in the NFL. Overall, it’s not consistently true that Heisman winners fail in the pros.
Who is affected? The idea often focuses on quarterbacks, but outcomes vary. Some Heisman winners win Super Bowl MVPs or become NFL stars, while others don’t reach that level.
Bottom line: There’s no solid proof that Heisman winners underperform more than other top college players. It’s mostly a popular tabloid-style story, with plenty of exceptions on both sides.
Why the myth sticks: People who pick the Heisman are often sportswriters or former winners who vote based on reputation and storylines, not just numbers. NFL scouts, on the other hand, use more detailed, quantitative evaluations.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 12:56 (CET).