Which Heisman Trophy Finalist Has The Best Track & Field Credentials?

Which Heisman Trophy Finalist Has The Best Track & Field Credentials?

The second Saturday in December looms, which can only mean that the sporting world finds itself comparing the gridiron greatness of Alabama running back Der

Dec 11, 2015 by Joe Battaglia
Which Heisman Trophy Finalist Has The Best Track & Field Credentials?
The second Saturday in December looms, which can only mean that the sporting world finds itself comparing the gridiron greatness of Alabama running back Derrick Henry, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, and Stanford all-purpose dynamo Christian McCaffrey ahead of the Heisman Trophy presentation.

We here at FloTrack don’t want to involve ourselves in weighing the merits of a workhouse runner versus the offensive leader of the nation’s top-ranked team versus the nation’s most versatile player.

Instead, we would rather compare the track and field backgrounds of these three tremendous athletes and determine whom we would award the Heisman Trophy to based solely on non-football feats.

Here is a closer look at the track backgrounds of the three Heisman Trophy finalists. Statistical data on all of them can be found on our sister site, MileSplit.


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Derrick Henry

Before setting the single-season SEC rushing record, Henry first showcased bursts of speed on the track for Yulee High School outside Jacksonville, Florida, where he ran the 100m, 4x100m and 4x400m during his sophomore year. His best performance came in 2011, when he ran 11.11 in the 100m prelims at the 2A District 3 meet. He wound up finishing fourth.
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Deshaun Watson

The ACC Player of the Year for No. 1 Clemson has always been a tremendous athlete. Watson attended Gainesville High School and Gainesville Middle School in Gainesville, GA, competing in both the high jump and the 200m at the middle school state championships. Although Watson didn't compete in high school, he retained those early wheels, clocking a 4.89 in the 40-yard dash during a college combine.
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Christian McCaffrey

Of the three Heisman finalists, McCaffrey has far and away the strongest track and field pedigree. His grandfather, David Sims, set the 100m world record in 1956, and won a silver medal in the 100m at the 1960 Rome Olympics. McCafffrey was pretty good on the track in his own right. During his junior year at Valor Christian High in Colorado, he was a member of two state championship relays, finished sixth in the 100m and ninth in the 200m.

So, there are their three resumes. Have your say now in whom you think has the most Heisman-worthy track credentials in our poll below.

[polldaddy poll="9225364"]