Texas Tech football star Jacob Rodriguez's Heisman finish revealed
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Texas Tech football star Jacob Rodriguez finished fifth in voting for the Heisman Trophy, the award’s overseers announced on Thursday, Dec. 11.
The Heisman Trophy winner and award presentation will take place Saturday night in New York. On Monday, the four finalists who received invitations to the ceremony were revealed: Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.
On Thursday, the Heisman Trust revealed the players who finished, in order, fifth through 10th: Rodriguez, the Red Raiders‘ linebacker, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton, Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, and Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King.
Fifth place ties for the third-highest finish by a Texas Tech player in Heisman voting. In 1965, running back Donny Anderson finished fourth. In 2008, quarterback Graham Harrell got fourth and wide receiver Michael Crabtree fifth. Other Red Raiders achieving top-10 finishes were running back Byron Hanspard (sixth in 1996), quarterback Kliff Kingsbury (ninth in 2002), linebacker-center E.J. Holub (10th in 1960), and quarterback B.J. Symons (10th in 2003).
In the past week, Rodriguez has won the Butkus Award, which goes to the nation’s top linebacker, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which goes to college football’s best defensive player, and the Lombardi Award, which honors the country’s top lineman or linebacker. He and Tech edge defender David Bailey also won the Pony Express Award, an honor established last year to recognize the top defensive duo in college football.
Rodriguez joined Boston College’s Luke Kuechly in 2011 and Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o in 2012 as the only players to win the Butkus, Nagurski and Lombardi awards in the same year.
Rodriguez has also been named the defensive player of the year on the all-Big 12 team chosen by the head coaches and the Associated Press All-Big 12 team selected by media members.
Rodriguez is a 6-foot-1, 235-pound senior from Wichita Falls Rider. He’s been credited this season with 117 tackles, including 11 tackles for loss. He also has an FBS-leading seven forced fumbles, six pass breakups, four interceptions, and two fumble recoveries.
Rodriguez was also a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, won by Mendoza, and remains a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which goes to the defensive player of the year. The latter award will be announced on the annual ESPN college football awards show at 6 p.m. CST on Friday.
This story was updated to add information.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football star Jacob Rodriguez’s Heisman finish revealed
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