By Erik HallSt. Louis Post-Dispatch
The Heisman Trophy is the most prestigious award in college football, and it has been around since 1935.
University of Chicago running back Jay Berwanger won that first Heisman Trophy. It wasn't even called the Heisman Trophy at that time. It was the Downtown Athletic Club Trophy, according to Heisman.com.
The award was renamed the Heisman Trophy prior to 1936, and since Berwanger, no player from a university in the state of Illinois has won the trophy.
But on nine occasions, Illinois Fighting Illini football players have finished top 10 in the Heisman Trophy voting. The most recent occurrence was 1982.
Tony Eason, eighth place in 1982
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Illinois senior quarterback Tony Eason came in eighth in the 1982 Heisman Trophy voting. Georgia junior running back Herschel Walker won the award. Eason received five first-place votes.
Eason amassed 3,671 passing yards and 17 passing touchdowns while going 313-for-505 on pass attempts in 1982. The Illini finished the 1982 season 7-5 overall and 6-3 in the Big Ten. His passing yards in a season are still an Illini record.
Dave Wilson, tied for 10th place in 1980
Illinois quarterback Dave Wilson finished tied for 10th place in the 1980 Heisman Trophy voting. He tied with Michigan sophom*ore wide receiver Anthony Carter. The 1980 Heisman Trophy winner was South Carolina running back George Rogers.
Wilson's 621 passing yards on 43-of-69 attempts with six passing touchdowns at Ohio State on Nov. 8, 1980, set several Illinois records that still stand. He had 3,154 passing yards and 19 passing touchdowns that season.
Jim Grabowski, third place in 1965
Illinois senior running back Jim Grabowski took third place in the 1965 Heisman Trophy voting. The award went to Southern California senior running back Mike Garrett. Grabowski received 97 first-place votes.
Grabowski ran for 1,258 yards on 252 carries during the 1965 season, a rushing yardage total that stood as the Illinois record until 1996. He led Illinois in rushing and scoring all three seasons from 1963-65. The Illini capped the 1963 season with a trip to the 1964 Rose Bowl, and Illinois defeated Washington 17-7 with Grabowski scoring a touchdown and earning Rose Bowl MVP.
Dick Butkus, third place in 1964/sixth place in 1963
Illinois senior linebacker Dick Butkus took third place in the 1964 Heisman Trophy voting. Notre Dame senior quarterback John Huarte won the award. Butkus received 77 first-place votes.
In 1963, Butkus finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting. Navy junior quarterback Roger Staubach won the award. Butkus garnered 10 first-place votes.
He recorded 374 tackles during his Illini career. He helped Illinois reach the 1964 Rose Bowl as a junior. Illinois retired his No. 50 jersey in 1986.
After his Illinois career, the Chicago Bears took him third overall in the 1965 NFL Draft. Butkus played for the Bears from 1965-73, and he was selected for the Pro Bowl each of his first eight seasons. He was in the 1979 Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Bill Burrell, fourth place in 1959
Illinois linebacker Bill Burrell finished fourth place in the 1959 Heisman Trophy voting as a senior. LSU senior running back Billy Cannon won the award. Burrell received 23 first-place votes.
He was the only defensive player in the top seven of the voting. His 26 tackles against Purdue on Oct. 31, 1959, still ranks third all-time for Illinois for tackles in a game.
J.C. Caroline, seventh place in 1953
Illinois running back J.C. Caroline took seventh place in the 1953 Heisman Trophy voting as a sophom*ore. Notre Dame senior running back Johnny Lattner won the award. Caroline earned 15 first-place votes.
Caroline rushed for 1,256 yards and had six 100-yard games during the 1953 season, both Illinois records at the time. His 1,256 rushing yards in just nine games led the nation.
Johnny Karras, sixth place in 1951
Illinois running back Johnny Karras came in sixth in the 1951 Heisman Trophy voting as a senior. Princeton senior running back Dick Kazmaier won the award. Karras received 15 first-place votes.
He joined Illinois in 1949 after three years in the Army. He scored 13 touchdowns for the Illini in 1951, and that stood as the school record for rushing touchdowns in a season until 1990.
Karras helped Illinois go 9-0-1 and win the 1951 national title, which it shared with Tennessee. The Illini reached the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 1952. Illinois defeated Stanford 40-7 in the 1952 Rose Bowl.
Claude "Buddy" Young, fifth place in 1944
Illini halfback Claude "Buddy" Young finished fifth in the 1944 Heisman Trophy voting as a true freshman. Ohio State senior quarterback Les Horvath took home the award that season.
Young scored 13 touchdowns and had four 100-yard rushing games as a true freshman in 1944. From that season, he still holds the top two spots in the Illinois record book for longest rushing plays— a 93-yard run on Sept. 30, 1944, and a 92-yard run on Oct. 21, 1944.
As a junior, Young helped Illinois defeat UCLA 45-14 in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 1947.
Erik Hall is the digital sports editor at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. You can find him on Twitter @HallErik.
Erik Hall is the digital sports editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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