The Heisman Trophy Podcast

Send us Fan Mail The Heisman Trophy Podcast's off-season search for the origins of elite athleticism continues with Quincy Watts , who won two gold medals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and now directs the track and field program at USC. Watts grew up in Detroit, a basketball player who happened to be fast. He traces the spark to the 1984 Olympics, when he watched Carl Lewis win four golds, p...

Send us Fan Mail The Heisman Trophy Podcast continues its quest to explore the origins of elite athleticism, this time by delving into the mental habits and routines that distinguish elite athletes from the rest. Elise Devlin , who writes about these topics for The Athletic , joins us to provide key insights as we discover the ways mental performance, routines, and vulnerability contribute to athl...

Send us Fan Mail This month's Heisman Trophy Podcast is a mega-episode as we take a journey into the realm of neuroscience and what it tells us about brain development in elite athletes. How much do we know about the brain as it pertains to athleticism? What factors help determine which athletes becomes great and which do not?  Are elite athletes wired differently?  Is their development due p...

Send us Fan Mail What separates greatness from good? This episode puts that question to three people who have lived the answer. Curt Cignetti , who coached Fernando Mendoza from overlooked transfer to Heisman winner and national champion, breaks down what he saw on tape and what he watched develop once Mendoza arrived in Bloomington. Lincoln Riley — the only active coach to have guided three Heism...

Send us Fan Mail The Heisman Trophy Podcast is now available in the offseason, starting with this month's episode featuring, Joey Cheek , a 2006 Olympic speed skating gold medalist and original Heisman Humanitarian . Cheek shares insights on athletic excellence, mental toughness, the impact of social media, and his humanitarian work with the organizations Right to Play and Team Darfur. Discov...

Send us Fan Mail Newly-crowned Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza of Indiana returns to the Heisman Trophy Podcast to share what it was like to win the most prestigious individual award in American sports. Mendoza reflects on the achievement, the significance of the Heisman name, and the responsibilities that come with it. He shares insights about his journey, the support from teammates and fa...

Send us Fan Mail It's beginning to to look a lot like Heisman and the trophy's official podcast is here to ring in the season proper. We've got four finalists set to come to New York City for the 2025 Heisman Trophy ceremony: Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love , Indiana's Fernando Mendoza , Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia and Ohio State's Julian Sayin . Kick off the festivitie...

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode, we talk to 2025 Heisman Humanitarian Award winner Larry Fitzgerald , a legendary wide out for Pittsburgh who finished as Heisman runner up in 2003 before going on to a storied NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals. Fitzgerald shares insights into his philanthropic efforts through his Larry Fitzgerald Foundation , which focuses on youth education and br...

Send us Fan Mail This week's pod takes a trip down memory lane with former Florida State quarterback Chris Weinke on the 25th anniversary of his Heisman-winning season. Learn how the late-1980s three-sport high school prodigy out of Minnesota transformed into the improbable and unflappable late-1990s Seminole field general who -- at age 28! -- helped cap one of college football's great d...

Send us Fan Mail Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza joins the Heisman Trophy Podcast as the Hoosiers sit at 11-0, eyeing a Big Ten title and potential playoff berth. He reflects on pivotal moments of the season—like the last-second touchdown vs. Penn State—and shares how his transfer from Cal paid off thanks to Indiana’s leadership, team culture, and offensive scheme. In this classic long-form i...

Send us Fan Mail On the 50th episode of the Heisman Trophy Podcast , Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin , a.k.a. " Mr. 80% ", drops by to talk about his football journey, including how he learned the fine art of completing passes at an absurdly-high rate. The redshirt freshman has the No. 1 Buckeyes in position to possibly repeat as national champs, and a trip to New York City could be...

Send us Fan Mail Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath returns for his second deployment on the Heisman Trophy Podcast , showcasing his whistling skills while providing insight on Academy life, the Army-Navy game and even Marine culture. The senior from Hilliard, Ohio, leads one of the nation's most exciting offenses and is a big reason Navy is off to a 7-1 start. Later, Stewart Mandel , of Th...

Send us Fan Mail This Halloween enjoy some bonus pod coverage: USC's Makai Lemon , one of the best receivers in the country, if not THE best. The junior has 48 catches for 758 yards and 6 TDs and is a prime candidate for the Biletnikoff Award that goes to college football's top wide out.  And for good reason: He can do it all. Support the show The Heisman Trophy Podcast streams every Wed...

Send us Fan Mail Fresh off a four-touchdown performance in a resounding 49-25 victory over LSU in Death Valley, Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed drops by the pod to give an inside peek at his remarkable season. The sophomore from Nashville has the Aggies at 8-0 (their best start since 1992!) and ranked third in the AP poll (their best ranking since 1995!). Of course, the talented Reed has a l...

Send us Fan Mail He's a helluva quarterback, that Haynes King .  The tough-as-nails Georgia Tech senior is the featured guest on this week's Heisman Trophy Podcast after leading his No. 7 Yellow Jackets to a 7-0 record, their best start since 1966 and best ranking since 2009. They said he was a bust after things went sour at Texas A&M, but it turns out they were wrong. Now, the Yello...

Send us Fan Mail This week's Heisman Trophy Podcast reaches beyond the shores of the West Coast all the way to Hawai'i and Tokyo to feature Rainbow Warriors placekicker Kansei Matsuzawa , the " Tokyo Toe " , who leads college football in field goals made.  The 26-year-old senior tells the story of how he discovered football at the age of 20 and resolved, then and there, to play...

Send us Fan Mail Buckle up, because this week's Heisman Trophy Podcast is a Division-II Football Extravaganza with a special spotlight on the Ferris State Bulldogs and their legendary coach, Tony Annese . The three-time D-II national champion reveals the shocking secret to his success: a crazy little thing called love. Also: no team in America practices better. Step into the F.O.L.D. with coa...

Send us Fan Mail One of college football's most improved quarterbacks joins this week's Heisman Trophy Podcast : USC's Jayden Maiava .  The junior from Hawaii is among the nation's leaders in passing yardage and total touchdowns. With the Trojans at 4-1 and taking a bye week before hosting Michigan, Maiava talked with us about his penchant for leading comebacks, what it's...

Send us Fan Mail Fresh off a career-high 157 rushing yards against Purdue, Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love hurdles his way onto the latest Heisman Trophy Podcast with inside tales of what it's like to be a college football running back. What goes on in his head when he gets handed the ball?  What happens if he forgets the play? Why and when did he start jumping over hapless defenders? Stream...

Send us Fan Mail A close loss to Mississippi last Saturday wasn't enough to keep Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green away from this week's Heisman Trophy Podcast . The Razorbacks' talented 6-foot-6, 235-pound senior talked about what it's like to work with offensive mastermind Bobby Petrino , the intensity of college life in Fayetteville, and how his goals for this season include...

Send us Fan Mail This week brings a very special episode of the Heisman Trophy Podcast as we delve into the grass roots of college football and speak with innovators who help build the sport's culture. First up, the editor of the largest gathering for college football fans on the internet, Bobak Ha'Eri of r/cfb on Reddit. With over 4.4 million members, "the internet's tailgate&...

Send us Fan Mail Is he your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, a Heisman candidate, or both?  Utah quarterback Devon Dampier's guest turn on this week's Heisman Trophy Podcast comes on the heels of a sizzling debut for the Utes in a road win over UCLA this past weekend. What does he have in common with his favorite Marvel superhero?  How about a spidey sense that helps him avoid getting s...

Send us Fan Mail The first full weekend of college football 2025 is the focus of the latest Heisman Trophy Podcast , as superstar Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith joins the show ahead of the big Texas game to talk about his humble beginnings, his penchant for one-handed catches, his secret love of chess, and the reason he met up with Travis Kelce in New York this past summer. Next we take a...

Send us Fan Mail The third season of the Heisman Trophy Podcast kicks off with a bonanza of an episode that features Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, the new Sooner on the block. The junior transfer from Washington State is primed for a run at the Heisman following a breakout sophomore campaign in the Palouse. In this interview, he talks about his long journey from overlooked high school recruit...

Send us Fan Mail It's a massive season finale for the pod as we dive head first into Heisman weekend with interviews from 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter of Colorado, plus finalists Ashton Jeanty of Boise State, Dillon Gabriel of Oregon and Cam Ward of Miami. We also catch up with 1995 Heisman winner Eddie George of Ohio State, who fills us in on his experience as head coach at Tenne...