Mark Ingram 2009 Heisman Trophy Winner: A Perfect Fit

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Ingram's Heisman fills big void
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NEW YORK -- He was clearly gripped by emotion the moment his name was called, struggling to collect his composure as he climbed on to a stage thronged by some of the biggest legends in the history of the sport.
Upon beginning his Heisman acceptance speech, Mark Ingram finally broke down after uttering the following words: "I'm just so excited to bring Alabama their first Heisman winner."
The good people of that state waited a long, long time for this night. Few place more importance on college football history, and no fan base lionizes its gridiron heroes more than those of the Crimson Tide's. They'll be the first to let you know they take a backseat to nobody -- 12 national championships, 22 SEC titles, 57 bowl berths.
Yet, for 74 years, one trophy had mysteriously eluded Tuscaloosa. Every December since 1935, 'Bama fans have had to watch from a distance as stars from places like USC, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Miami -- heck, from Stanford, BYU, Houston and, egads! Auburn -- basked in the glory of college football's highest honor.
On Saturday night at the Times Square Nokia Theatre, Ingram -- the pride of Flint, Mich., and now, suddenly, the most decorated player in Alabama's lustrous history -- claimed the 75th Heisman Memorial Trophy.
"The legacy of Alabama football certainly has a void filled," said Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban. "It made this an even greater opportunity [for Ingram] from a bigger picture standpoint."
As Ingram was escorted through the main floor of the Marriott Marquis for his post-ceremony press conference Saturday night, a school staffer informed him, "They're blowing up back in Tuscaloosa. I'm getting texts like crazy." Ingram, whose sober expression rarely seems to change (except, of course, when he's doing Gator chomps on the sideline), looked down at this own phone. "I've got 260 [texts]," he said.
If he doesn't fully appreciate it yet, he soon will. With the opening of an envelope Saturday night, Ingram, whose 1,864 total yards and 18 touchdowns helped lift No. 1 Alabama to a 13-0 regular season, assured himself a lifetime of adulation in a state whose residents adorn their walls with framed prints of famous moments in Crimson Tide history.
Ingram's fellow finalist, Tim Tebow, the 2007 Heisman winner, knows well how his new friend's life is about to change.
"He'll always be known as the 75th Heisman Trophy winner," Tebow said Saturday. "He'll become more and more popular. More and more of a petting zoo."
Ingram didn't run away from the other contenders quite as strikingly as he did Florida's defense last week. In fact, his victory was the closest in Heisman history. Another tailback, Stanford's Toby Gerhart, finished a mere 28 points behind. (For comparison's sake, Reggie Bush beat Vince Young by 933 points in 2005.) Texas quarterback Colt McCoy finished just 159 points behind Ingram.
It was a fitting ending to an unusual season in which the Heisman pecking order seemed to change by the week. After netting a season-low 30 rushing yards against Auburn on Nov. 27, Ingram was thought to be on the outs. Prior to notching a staggering 4½ sacks against Texas in the Dec. 5 Big 12 title game, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh -- who wound up finishing a historic fourth (highest of any player at his position since 1994) -- was thought to have almost no shot of coming to New York.
Just as Suh assured his spot with a huge performance the last night of the season, Ingram made his case with a 189-yard, three-touchdown masterpiece in the SEC championship game. (Ironically, he also benefitted greatly from Suh's defensive dominance of presumed front-runner McCoy.)
Over the past decade, Heisman voters have increasingly intertwined the award with the BCS title chase. That might not seem fair to some (like Gerhart's supporters, knowing he may have run away with the thing had his team not lost four games), but for Alabama fans, it probably seems appropriate. During Bear Bryant's heyday, the Heisman drought became something of a source of pride. Other programs produced stars. Alabama produced champions.
But it's been 17 years since the Tide last played for a national title, and there have been many, many lows in the interim. Having endured 3-8 seasons, NCAA sanctions and coaching turmoil, Alabama finally finds itself back in the limelight. Last year, Saban led the Tide to a 12-0 regular season. This year, he's got them playing for a national championship.
Ingram's Heisman, therefore, is the best of both worlds. Tide fans can finally celebrate the sport's highest individual honor knowing full well Ingram's achievement came in the context of an old-fashioned, power-running, championship-caliber team.
"It was an unbelievable team concept this year," said longtime Alabama AD Mal Moore, once a member of Bryant's coaching staff. "The offense [Saban] runs was set for Mark. He handled it very well. [Freshman] Trent Richardson shared time and contributed. [The Heisman] just happened.
"This is as good as it gets."
By the time he reached the Marquis podium about 40 minutes after the presentation ended, Ingram, who stopped and openly wept during a brief but gripping acceptance speech, had collected his composure. He reiterated how honored he was to be his school's first Heisman winner, how excited he was to be able to serve as inspiration to youngsters in his downtrodden hometown and how happy he was to bring pride to his family, noting "it hasn't always been easy for us."
(Ingram's father, Mark Sr., a former star receiver for the New York Giants, was convicted on bank fraud and money laundering charges last year and is currently being detained at the Queens Correctional Center, one borough over from where Saturday night's festivities were held.)
Ingram, the only Northerner on Alabama's entire roster, admittedly knew few details of the program's rich history upon signing there two years ago. He was brought up to speed soon enough. Like many, he was stunned to learn of the Tide's 74-year Heisman shutout. (Saban himself said he wasn't aware of it until Ingram became a candidate.)
But he's spent plenty of time walking past the many trophy cases that litter the walls of Alabama's football facilities.
"I'm not sure where [the Heisman] is going to go," said Ingram. "I'm sure it's going to be in the trophy case with all those national championships and all those other awards people have won."
Ingram's honor doesn't lessen the accomplishment of all the greats that came before him. But this one's going to merit a celebration 75 years in the making.












Mark Ingram 2009 Heisman Trophy Winner: A Perfect Fit
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NEW YORK -- After winning the closest Heisman Trophy race in the 75-year history of the award on Saturday night, Alabama running back Mark Ingram walked to the dais at Nokia Theatre in Times Square and was overcome with emotion.
Maybe it was the relief or sheer joy of becoming Alabama's first Heisman Trophy winner. Alabama has long been one of college football's most tradition-rich programs, but never before had one of its players won the sport's most coveted individual honor.
"When he started reading that letter, my heart started beating," said Ingram, who edged Stanford running back Toby Gerhart by 28 points and five first-place votes. "I could just feel it beating real fast. When they called my name out, I was excited and then I saw my mom crying, and it kind of made me break down, too. It was just a real special moment for me that I'll cherish for the rest of my life."
Across the East River, Ingram's father had to be overcome with pride and joy, too. Mark Ingram Sr., a former star wide receiver for Michigan State and the NFL's New York Giants, is being held at the Queens Private Correctional Facility on charges of failure to surrender, which will be added to the 92-month prison sentence he already faced for money laundering and bank fraud.
After regaining his composure Saturday night, Mark Ingram thanked his family for their support, including his troubled father.
"I'd like to thank my family, my mother and grandparents, who are sitting right there," Ingram said. "My father, who has been a great influence on my life, and I love him to death."
Several minutes after Ingram was named the Heisman Trophy winner, Mark Ingram Sr. called his wife from prison.
"He just called me and he's excited and proud, too," Shonda Ingram said. "He was asking, 'Where was Mark?'"
Mark Ingram said he last talked to his father two days ago. Shonda Ingram said she wasn't sure if Ingram would get to see his father before returning to Tuscaloosa, Ala., in a couple of days.
Nearly one year ago, U.S. marshals captured Ingram's father in a hotel room in Flint, Mich. Ingram had been on the run after failing to report to a federal prison in Ashland, Ky., on Dec. 5, 2008. Ingram had asked a judge to delay his sentence so he could watch his son play against Utah in the Sugar Bowl at the end of the 2008 season. Marshals captured Ingram on Jan. 2, just minutes before the Crimson Tide played the Utes in New Orleans.
"I can believe that he did it," Shonda Ingram said of her husband's flight from authorities. "He would do anything for his kids. If that was his last thing, if he could see that game, I understand why he did it."
Mark Ingram Sr. still calls his son two or three times a week. The elder Ingram is able to watch many of the Crimson Tide's games on TV in prison and calls his son to offer advice, according to Ingram's maternal grandfather, Arthur Johnson.
"Mark is a good person and is an outstanding individual," said Johnson, who also played football at Michigan State. "He doesn't belong where he's at. I can tell you that because I know him as a person. He's a beautiful person. He'll give you anything you want and if you ask him, he'll do it. He just made a wrong turn once and wrong turns can get you in trouble."
If nothing else, Mark Ingram Sr. made sure his son steered clear of the pitfalls that sent his life spiraling. Ingram has been reluctant to talk about his father this season. Mark Ingram Sr. has denied requests for interviews, not wanting to distract his son during No. 1 Alabama's run to the Jan. 7 Citi BCS National Championship Game.
"His dad has always been a part of his life since he was a baby," Shonda Ingram said. "He instilled all those things in him and worked on a lot of things. He is an important piece of him and that's a part of him -- his dad."
But as Ingram stood in front of reporters after winning the tightest Heisman Trophy vote in history, he openly talked about what his father means to him.
His dad has always been a part of his life since he was a baby. He instilled all those things in him and worked on a lot of things. He is an important piece of him and that's a part of him -- his dad.
"Ever since I was little boy, I just remember playing basketball," Ingram said. "He'd knock me down or block a shot and wouldn't let me win. We'd go on a race, and I'd catch up to him and he'd take off and win. He'd be tough on me as far as my grades go or not letting me go out all the time and get in trouble. Everything he did for me helped me develop into the man I am today and the competitor I am on and off the field."
Ingram didn't start the season as a Heisman Trophy candidate. He wasn't even Alabama's featured running back last season, when the Crimson Tide rose to No. 1 in the country before losing to Florida in the SEC championship game.
The 2009 season started with the Heisman spotlight on three quarterbacks: Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, the reigning winner; Florida's Tim Tebow, who was the first sophomore to win the award in 2007; and Texas' Colt McCoy, who lost a narrow race to Bradford last year.
But then Bradford injured his shoulder in the Sooners' opening game of the season and was shelved for good after six games. With new receivers and a porous offensive line, Tebow never regained his form from last season, when he led the Gators to their second BCS national title in three seasons.
McCoy seemed to have the best chance at winning the Heisman Trophy, before he was sacked nine times and threw three interceptions in last week's 13-12 win over Nebraska in the Big 12 championship game.
Almost quietly, Ingram put together one of the best seasons by a running back in SEC history, setting an Alabama single-season record with 1,542 yards and 15 touchdowns. He ran for 113 yards with three touchdowns in last week's 32-13 victory over No. 1 Florida in the SEC championship game in Atlanta's Georgia Dome, a performance that undoubtedly helped him overcome a 30-yard effort in a 26-21 win over rival Auburn the week before.
It was enough for Ingram to do what legendary Alabama players like Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Kenny Stabler couldn't do -- win the Heisman Trophy.
"The legacy of Alabama football certainly has a void filled," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said.
Now Ingram will try to do what several Heisman Trophy winners before him didn't do: lead their teams to national championships. Alabama plays No. 2 Texas in the BCS National Championship Game in 26 days. Ingram will become the eighth Heisman Trophy winner in the last decade to play for a national title. Of the previous seven, only former Southern California quarterback Matt Leinart, the 2004 winner, led his team to victory.
"It doesn't phase me at all," Ingram said. "Some people, when they have success, they let it get to their heads. But when I get back to practice on Friday, my main focus is going to be the national championship game. I'm going to help my team do whatever we can to get ready for this. My team is looking forward to it and I'm looking forward to it."
Nothing seems to faze Ingram much, not even losing his father to prison.
"It's been hard because he missed him," Shonda Ingram said. "But we just pretty much move forward because we're still here and we have to keep going every day. Even though he's not here, you still keep moving forward. I often hear Mark say, 'It is what it is and we're still here so we have to keep moving forward with our plans and our goals.'"
Ingram achieved college football's greatest individual honor Saturday, but an even bigger goal still awaits the Crimson Tide.


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NEW YORK -- Mark Ingram dabbed his eyes, took a deep breath and tried to steady himself. All set, he accepted the Heisman that completes Alabama's trophy case.
The tough-running tailback turned tearful after winning the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night in the closest vote in the award's 75-year history. Next, he'll try to lead the most storied program in the South to a national championship.
Ingram finished 28 points ahead of Stanford running back Toby Gerhart.
The sturdy, 212-pound Ingram took a moment to get composed before starting his speech. Dressed in a dark suit with blue pinstripes, his voice wavered throughout.


Close call
Alabama running back Mark Ingram won the closest Heisman race in history on Saturday. Here's a breakdown of the voting:

Player 1st place Total
Mark Ingram 227 1,304
Toby Gerhart 222 1,276
Colt McCoy 203 1,145
Ndamukong Suh 161 815
Tim Tebow 43 390

"I'm a little overwhelmed right now," he said. "I'm just so excited to bring Alabama their first Heisman winner."

Ingram received 227 first-place votes and 1,304 points. Gerhart got 222 first-place votes and 1,276 points, while Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, last season's runner-up, received 203 and 1,145.

Ingram said later he was feeling relaxed -- right up until the winner was announced.
"When he started reading that letter, my heart started beating and I could feel it beating real fast," he said. "When he called my name I was excited, then I saw my mom crying and it kind of made me break down, too."
His father, a former Super Bowl star, was a few miles away. Incarcerated on bank fraud and money-laundering charges, he watched his son's biggest moment on a prison television.
Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was fourth and Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who won the Heisman two years ago, was fifth.
The previous closest vote in Heisman history came in 1985, when Auburn's Bo Jackson beat Iowa quarterback Chuck Long by 45 points.
Ingram won four of the six regions. Gerhart took the far west and Suh won the southwest.
"I appreciate the way he plays," said Gerhart, who ran for 1,736 yards and scored 26 touchdowns. "The passion for the game. I'm a physical guy, he's a physical guy. I feel we're similar in a lot of ways. I'm proud of him and honored to be included with him."
Ingram has been the backbone of Alabama's offense, rushing for a school-record 1,542 yards, gaining 6.2 yards per carry and scoring 18 touchdowns.
And in his final chance to make a case for the Heisman, facing Florida's then-top-ranked defense, Ingram ran for 113 yards and scored three touchdowns to punctuate his season.
The win sent the top-ranked Crimson Tide to the BCS national title game against McCoy and No. 2 Texas on Jan. 7 at the Rose Bowl.
"This is a great, special moment for me but at the same time you've got to move forward," Ingram said. "We still have a national championship game to play in."
Ingram hugged family members and Alabama coach Nick Saban after winning, and went to the podium. As he searched for the proper words, several former Heisman winners standing behind him offered encouragement, saying "take your time" and "it's all right."
Ingram thanked everyone he could think of, including teammates, coaches, trainers, support staff, an intern and his school teachers.
He is the third consecutive sophomore to win the Heisman since Tebow became the first in 2007 and he will be the sixth winner in the last seven years to go on to play in the BCS national championship game.
Few college football teams can match Alabama's history of success. The Crimson Tide dominated the Southeastern Conference for decades. With six AP national championships, only Notre Dame and Oklahoma have won more.
But at Alabama, it's a coach who has towered over the program more than any player.
Bear Bryant led some of college football's greatest players -- from Joe Namath to John Hannah, Ken Stabler to Ozzie Newsome -- but never had a player even finish in the top three of the Heisman voting over his more than three decades at Alabama.
"The legacy of Alabama football certainly had a void filled," Tide coach Nick Saban said.
David Palmer, the shifty receiver and return man, was third in the Heisman voting in 1993, the best finish by a Crimson Tide player.


Join The Club
Alabama sophomore running back Mark Ingram became the 75th recipient of the Heisman Trophy and first Crimson Tide player to ever take home the honor. Here's a look at the past six winners:
Year Winner
2009 Mark Ingram, Alabama
2008 Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
2007 Tim Tebow, Florida
2006 Troy Smith, Ohio St.
2005 Reggie Bush, USC
2004 Matt Leinart, USC

No major college program had won more games without a Heisman winner.
"Everybody that's been in the Alabama family has been supporting me," Ingram said before hoisting the bronze statue. "Walking to class, students flashed me the Heisman pose."
Now he can take his place among Alabama's greats and the Paul W. Bryant Museum has a new piece of a hardware to display.
"I'm sure it'll be in the trophy cases with all those national championships and all the other awards people have won," he said later.
The announcement that Ingram had won came minutes before the Alabama men's basketball team was set to host No. 5 Purdue, prompting an immediate roar from the mostly full Coleman Coliseum.
Even though the presentation wasn't shown on the videoboard, fans instantly found out the news. The public-address announcer congratulated Ingram early in the game, bringing another big ovation. One young fan sat at courtside sporting a 22 jersey -- Ingram's number -- with "Heisman" across the top.
By midway through the first half, Heisman T-shirts were already on sale at the arena.
Ingram came to Tuscaloosa from Flint, Mich., the son of the former Michigan State and NFL receiver of the same name. Saban had been a coach at Michigan State when the elder Ingram was in college.
Mark Ingram Sr. starred for the New York Giants, but last year he was sentenced to almost eight years in prison. Then he did not show up at the federal prison in Kentucky to serve his sentence, which might cost him even more time.
He was found hiding out in a Michigan hotel the same day his son played Utah in the Sugar Bowl last season.
He has been serving his time in a New York City holding facility, where he's been able to watch his son play.
"My father has been a great influence on my life and I love him to death," Ingram said on the podium.
The father has seen his son quickly blossom into a feature back. As a freshman last season, Ingram was Bama's No. 2 back, with a nose for the goal line. He ran for 728 yards and a team-high 12. This season, he's been the best weapon on an offense with a first-year starting quarterback and a rebuilt offensive line.
And he's been at his best against most of Alabama's best competition. He opened the season with 150 yards rushing and two TDs against Virginia Tech, had 172 yards rushing at Mississippi, and set a Bryant-Denny Stadium record with 246 yards versus South Carolina.
In what was billed as the year of the quarterback -- with Tebow, McCoy and last year's Heisman winner Sam Bradford -- all returning to college, Ingram emerged as the Heisman front-runner at midseason.
His only poor game, a 30-yard rushing performance against Auburn on Nov. 27, came at the worst time and in front of a national television audience.
But with the Tide playing in the biggest game of the season, a No. 1 vs. No. 2 SEC championship against Florida, Ingram had one more chance to impress voters -- and he delivered.
Tide fans like to say their team is about winning championships, not Heismans.
Thanks to Ingram, Alabama might get both this season.