Heisman Trophy: Peyton Manning and 5 Others Who Should Have Won It Once

Many all-time greats had sensational seasons, but failed to win the coveted Heisman Trophy.

Many prestigious players could not perform their best when it mattered the most. However, they posted gaudy stats and were recognizable players for the fans and voters. However, there was no such a thing as being a lock to win the Heisman in the upcoming slides. 

There were many close races, but failing to be the consensus No. 1 team or playing in a conference championship plays a vital role in the voting very often. 

Many Heisman winners do not have the most productive professional careers, but many times the most talented player does not end up winning the award.

The award is given to the "most outstanding player," and certainly the former winners who prevailed over the following five were deserving.

So, without further ado, here are your five guys who really should have won the Heisman at least once.

Peyton Manning, Tennessee

Peyton Manning was a First Team All-American and also won the Maxwell, Unitas and Davey O'Brien. He was second in the Heisman voting to Charles Woodson, who remains the only defensive player to ever win the Heisman.  

Manning fell to Woodson, but it was really close for the 1997 Heisman. 1,815 to 1,543 was the total tallies but many questioned how one of the greatest football players of all time never won a Heisman.

Obviously, Manning was abysmal against the Florida Gators and could not play in the BCS National Championship, but his 37 touchdowns and 3,817 yards were gaudy enough numbers to give him a legit chance.

Vince Young, Texas

Of course, Reggie Bush had to give back his Heisman for improper benefits, but some thought Vince Young was the clear-cut choice.

He severely out-played Bush in the BCS National Championship, totaling more than 400 yards of offense on top of four touchdowns (rushing).

The bowl games have nothing to do with deciding the Heisman since the ceremony is a month before the BCS National Championship, but he combined for 38 touchdowns and over 4,000 yards.

Young remains among the all-time greats in Texas history as well as college football history.

Colt McCoy, Texas

"The Real McCoy" was sensational during his junior season when Sam Bradford won the Heisman in 2008. 

Colt had tremendous numbers which included 34 touchdowns and only eight interceptions, and he also ended up throwing for 3,859 yards.

Throwing in 11 rushing touchdowns and a Texas squad that beat Oklahoma and there would be plenty of beef for McCoy to win the Heisman. Instead, the Sooners won the tiebreaker virtue of the BCS Standings and they were able to play in the BCS National Championship.

Tommie Frazier, Nebraska

Frazier was one of the greatest option running quarterbacks in the pre-BCS era and his Nebraska Cornhuskers were dominant. 

Combining for 31 total touchdowns and nearly 2,000 yards was more than worthy. He finished second in the Heisman that season to Eddie George of Ohio State.

The Buckeye running back outdueled him in terms of votes (1,460 to 1,196), but Frazier went bananas in the Fiesta Bowl (the national championship that year) against Florida, which only proved his argument even more.

Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma

Adrian Peterson was just a freshman, but he was a grown man during the 2004 college football season.

He toted the rock 339 times for 1,925 yards!

He also found the end zone 15 times, and led the Sooners along with Jason White (who finished third) to the national championship against USC.

Matt Leinart winning it was more than deserving, but Peterson accomplished things we had rarely seen before as a true freshman.

Leinart had 1,325 total points compared to Peterson's 997. The first-place votes gave Leinart the light edge (267-154) and a blowout in the title game only made Leinart seem more of a lock, but that does not deny the fabulous season the All-American had in his freshman season.

Darren McFadden, Arkansas

Tim Tebow won the 2007 Heisman, but "Run DMC" went bonkers in the SEC. He had 346 touches from the line of scrimmage and he totaled for nearly 2,000 yards and combined for 17 TDs!

McFadden was gashing SEC West foes and he was making it look way too easy. Of course his Razorbacks knocked off the top ranked Bayou Bengals in triple overtime in his junior season, but it should be noted he was often used out of the "Wild Hog".

He ended up throwing 7 TDs in his career, but they way he shredded defenses and coasted to paydirt every fall weekend in the South just made him the elite of the elite to never win a Heisman.