MAIN Recreation Sports College Football Heisman Trophy

It will be an early holiday celebration for football fans when the 84th annual Heisman Trophy presentation honors a new college football champion in New York City in December.

Watch for the official ceremony to be televised live on ESPN on Saturday, December 8, 2018 at 8PM ET with the final announcement of this year's winner and live appearances by top contenders,

2017 Heisman rewind - the top contenders

THE TOP FIVE: On the road to Heisman glory in 2017 were (from left to right): Oklahoma quarterback
Baker Mayfield (the year's Heisman WINNER), Stanford running back Bryce Love, Penn State running back
Saquon Barkley, Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, and Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor.

DID YOU KNOW? - Heisman Trophy trivia & fun facs

College football coach, John W. Heisman.

• Awarding a talented college football player with the Heisman Trophy dates back to 1935 when its first recipient, University of Chicago running back Jay Berwanger, was awarded the inaugural Heisman Trophy.

• The Heisman Memorial Trophy is named in honor of college football coach John W. Heisman, athletic director of the New York Downtown Athletic Club.

• The cast bronze trophy is 13.5 inches tall and weighs 25 lbs. The model for the trophy was Ed Smith, a player for New York University in 1934.

• Today, there are a total of 928 ballots cast in the awarding of the Heisman Trophy. Most are cast by sports journalists located in six regions throughout the US -- along with former Heisman winners who are also eligible to vote.

• Famous African-American Heisman Trophy winners include Syracuse University halfback Ernie Davis who won 1961. He was followed by running back Mike Garrett who took home the Heisman in 1965. O.J. Simpson was the third in 1968.

• Archie Griffin became the only person to win twice with two consecutive awards in 1974 and 1975.

• Other notable recipients include Tim Tebow who was the only sophomore (2007); Johnny Manziel the only freshman (2012); and 19-year-old Jameis Winston who became the youngest player (2013) ever to win the Heisman Trophy.

More about the Heisman Trophy around the Web:

Just up ahead, check out more about the Heisman Trophy with related resources featuring the latest rumors, photos, video highlights, and a bit of Heisman history and trivia...

Heisman.com - Heisman Trophy - The official site featuring a complete profile & photos on recent award recipients, trophy & award history, statistics, and details on the Heisman awards dinner.

Heisman Watch - Expert picks from CBS Sports with player profiles and season stats, information on past winners.

The Heisman Winners.com - Major predictions on who's up for the award this year including profiles & photos of past winners, Heisman history and facts.

From the legendary to the little-known, Heisman history is never dull - ESPN feature and a good read on Heisman history from 1935 to the present with major highlights, winners, fun facts & Heisman trivia.