10 College Football Players Who Are All Heart
A person's sheer will—or heart—can't be determined by a stopwatch, pedigree or box score. Some of college football's best players overcame obstacles to attain a high level of success.
Bleacher Report's All-Heart team won't consist of just All-Americans or quarterbacks.
The 2015 All-Heart team is comprised of superb leaders, players battling back from devastating injuries or a lack of scholarship offers out of high school, players who battled through adversity and succeeded or a combination of each. Some members of this 10-man squad aren't even on a winning team.
Is someone from your favorite team on this list?
Here is our list of 10 college football players who are all heart.
Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield
1 of 10
Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield entered college football as a walk-on at Texas Tech in 2013. After an injury to then-starter Michael Brewer, Mayfield ascended to the starting lineup and became the Big 12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year.
After that season, Mayfield transferred and ended up at Oklahoma.
Mayfield won the starting quarterback job this August, and the rest is history. He's led the Sooners to a 10-1 record and a shot at the College Football Playoff.
On the season, Mayfield has completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,209 yards and 33 touchdowns versus just five interceptions.
Last week, Mayfield suffered a head injury in the win over TCU yet stayed in the game. According to Jake Trotter of ESPN.com, Mayfield admitted to coaches at halftime he was suffering from a headache. He was replaced in the second half.
Mayfield's status for Saturday's game against Oklahoma State is up in the air, per head coach Bob Stoops.
"I sure don't know anything right now," Stoops said, per Trotter. "That'll all be up to our doctors and trainers. But they'll be thorough in checking him."
Regardless of whether Mayfield plays against OSU, he's transformed himself into a Heisman Trophy contender this fall. Not bad for a former walk-on.
Missouri LB Kentrell Brothers
2 of 10
Missouri linebacker Kentrell Brothers led the SEC in tackles in 2014. This season, Brothers leads the nation in total tackles with 140 and has 9.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions. Brothers has also blocked three kicks and returned one for a score.
Quietly, no linebacker in the FBS is having a better season than Brothers. Yet Brothers was inexplicably snubbed by the Butkus Award committee and not named one of the five semifinalists for the award given to the nation's top linebacker.
Brothers succeeds without great fanfare. He's a bit on the smaller side (6'1", 235 lbs), plays for a team that's lost six games on the season and isn't considered an elite NFL prospect.
Earlier this fall, Brothers left a game against Kentucky with what appeared to be a severe leg injury. Brothers returned the next week and helped lead the Tigers to their only SEC victory of the season.
Brothers plays with tremendous heart is a leader on campus. Brothers was among those who recently threatened to skip the rest of the season in an effort to oust the former school president over his lack of action involving racial incidents on campus. The president resigned, and Brothers stayed on the field.
Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott
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If there was a career achievement award in college football for what a player meant to a school combined with productivity, leadership and heart, Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott would be a runaway winner.
The talented passer led the Bulldogs to their first-ever No. 1 ranking in 2014 and an appearance in the Orange Bowl. He was a top contender for the Heisman throughout the season. While this season hasn't been as noteworthy as last season, Prescott still has the Bulldogs at 8-3 heading into the Egg Bowl this weekend against Ole Miss.
Prescott is not only one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, he's often required to be MSU's primary ball-carrier. He leads the Bulldogs in rushing this season and finished second on the team last season with over 1,100 yards.
Earlier this season, Prescott became just the sixth player in SEC history to account for 100 career touchdowns and also the 10th player in league history to go over the 10,000-yard mark.
In the 2013 season—Prescott's first as a starter—he lost his mother after a year-long battle with colon cancer. Prescott didn't miss a practice and exemplified outstanding leadership during the most difficult time of his life.
Prescott not only plays with heart, he symbolizes heart and character.
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Penn State DE Carl Nassib
4 of 10
Raise your hand if you'd heard of Carl Nassib at this time one year ago. Well, even the most ardent Penn State fan probably knew little of Nassib, a former walk-on who's now a star defensive end.
If you recognize the last name, it's because Nassib's older brother, Ryan, was a former star quarterback for Syracuse who is now a backup for the New York Giants.
Entering this season, Nassib had just two career sacks. Now, through 11 games, the senior pass-rusher leads the nation with 15.5 sacks and has at least one sack in every game for the Nittany Lions. Nassib also leads the country with 19.5 tackles for loss and six forced fumbles.
Nassib broke Penn State's single-season record for sacks on Nov. 7 against Northwestern.
The fifth-year senior transformed himself from a skinny walk-on freshman to a surefire All-American. Nassib still doesn't feel as if he's arrived, per Josh Moyer of ESPN.com.
“I just always wanted to prove to myself that I was a good player," Nassib said. "I never cared what other people thought of me. I still don’t think I’ve made it.”
That's the attitude and determination that has made Nassib a college football star.
Clemson QB Deshaun Watson
5 of 10
Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson arrived in Death Valley last season with major expectations. Not long into his freshman season, he took over at quarterback and gave Tiger fans a glimpse of his immense potential.
Unfortunately, though, injuries were a major part of Watson's debut campaign. A broken bone in his throwing hand cost Watson three games, but it was a torn ACL in Clemson's season finale that forced Watson to miss the Tigers' bowl game and spend an offseason rehabbing.
Missing time in the offseason can be detrimental to any young quarterback. However, Watson apparently didn't get that memo.
Watson was on the field for Clemson's 2015 season opener and has stayed there ever since. Watson is completing 70 percent of his passes for 2,944 yards and 26 touchdowns. He's also rushed for 642 yards and six more scores.
Remember, this is a player coming off major reconstructive knee surgery less than a year ago.
Watson has become the face of Clemson's program, currently ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
The young signal-caller won over teammates last fall after playing through the ACL tear in the win over hated in-state rival South Carolina.
Now, Watson is one of the best players in college football and looks like a future Heisman winner.
Texas Tech WR Jakeem Grant
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Texas Tech senior wide receiver Jakeem Grant is one of the smallest players in college football. At 5'7", 168 pounds, you don't expect the diminutive Grant to be a star.
Grant, however, is one of the most productive receivers in all of college football. On the season, Grant has 78 receptions for 1,038 yards and six scores. Grant is also a dangerous returner, averaging over 26 yards per kickoff return with two more touchdowns.
In one of Grant's standout performances in a loss to Oklahoma State, he caught 13 passes for 178 yards and returned a kick for a touchdown. In that game, Grant injured his ankle yet continued playing.
Before the season, Grant was asked if he played with a chip on his shoulder, per Brandon Chatmon of ESPN.com.
"Definitely. I have better stats than most of the guys, but I’m looked right over because of my size. If I was 6-foot, they’d look at me as one of the top receivers in the nation. But I’m going to prove them wrong and show them it doesn’t matter about size. It matters how big your heart is.
"
He's right—the size of his heart does matter. And perhaps no player in college football plays with more heart than Grant.
Virginia Tech DE Dadi Nicolas
7 of 10
Virginia Tech defensive end Dadi Nicolas was supposed to have a big senior campaign. As a junior last fall, Nicolas recorded 18 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and was an All-ACC selection.
This season, Nicolas has just one sack.
However, what most don't realize is Nicolas has played the entire season without full use of both of his hands. Nicolas broke one hand before the season and jammed the fingers on his other hand. As a defensive end, having your hands is just as important as a quick first step.
While the injuries have led to numerous near-misses, Nicolas never missed time. He declined to make excuses when asked about his frustrating season after his first sack in a win over Boston College earlier this month, per Andy Bitter of the Roanoke Times.
"It felt real good to finally get the first sack, no doubt, but overall man just the win feels better,” Nicolas said. “That’s what I’m most excited about.”
That's leadership.
At 6'3", 223 pounds, Nicolas is one of the smaller defensive linemen in the country. Hard work, determination and heart helped make Nicolas a successful pass-rusher and someone his teammates and coaches admire.
That team-first approach embodies the successful program legendary head coach Frank Beamer built.
TCU WR Josh Doctson
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TCU wide receiver Josh Doctson was having an All-American season before a wrist injury sidelined him two weeks ago in a loss to Oklahoma State. Although his season is over, Doctson is still among the FBS leaders in receptions (79), receiving yards (1,327) and touchdowns (14).
With only two scholarship offers out of high school, Doctson began his college career at Wyoming. After a successful freshman campaign, Doctson transferred closer to home and became a member of the Horned Frogs.
Now, three years later, Doctson has rewritten TCU's record book.
TCU head coach Gary Patterson was initially skeptical of Doctson becoming a great receiver, per Dan Wolken of USA Today.
“He’s very serious about football,” Patterson said. “He’s smart player, on and off the field. He has an unbelievable drive to be great. So the things that you don’t always see, you found out when he came back and walked on and you’re like, I’m sure glad he came back.”
Despite being 6'3", Doctson doesn't possess elite speed and has a slight frame. That didn't stop from becoming an elite NFL prospect.
Doctson's determination to be great and quest to earn that elusive scholarship overcame any initial concerns about his frame or speed.
Michigan QB Jake Rudock
9 of 10
The Michigan Wolverines are back. Head coach Jim Harbaugh will likely get most of the credit for Michigan's return to relevance, and deservedly so. But first-year quarterback Jake Rudock is a major reason for the Wolverines' climb back from mediocrity.
Rudock, a senior graduate transfer from Iowa, started under center the last two seasons for the Hawkeyes. However, under the NCAA's graduate transfer rules, Rudock was allowed to transfer and play immediately.
Rudock got off to an inauspicious start for UM, throwing three in interceptions in the Wolverines' season-opening loss at Utah.
Since then, though, Rudock has passed for 14 touchdowns and only six interceptions.
Rudock earned the respect of his coaches and teammates in a win at Minnesota. He was knocked out of the game after a violent hit but was back on the practice field Monday.
The following week—a win over Rutgers—Rudock took another big hit on a touchdown run, and Harbaugh praised him afterward, per Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com.
"That's a courage play," Harbaugh said. "Toughness is respected by everybody who plays this game. He's got it."
When you win Jim Harbaugh over with your toughness and leadership, that's saying something. Rudock did, and the Wolverines are poised for even greater things.
Ohio State WR Braxton Miller
10 of 10
As a junior in 2013, Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller ran Urban Meyer's offense to perfection. He became one of the top players in all of college football and was a Heisman Trophy finalist.
Then, a shoulder injury wiped out Miller's 2014 season. Of course, Ohio State would go on to win the national championship in Miller's absence behind the strength of his replacements, J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones.
Over the offseason, Miller returned and Meyer staged a three-way battle for Ohio State's starting quarterback.
However, before the season began, Miller announced he was moving to wide receiver to protect his future, which, in turn, helped alleviate the Buckeyes' logjam at quarterback.
Miller was sensational in the season-opening win at Virginia Tech. While Miller hasn't posted eye-popping numbers since, his leadership, heart and professionalism go a long way in an Ohio State locker room in dire need of each of those characteristics.
Meyer made no secret of his affection for Miller earlier in the season, per David Jablonski of the Dayton Daily News.
“I love Braxton Miller,” Meyer said. “He made a lot of decisions—as young people have to—and he did it for the best interest of his team and Ohio State. When I think about that, that makes you feel good."
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
