Former Heisman Trophy winners Ty Detmer (1990) and Charlie Ward (1993) talk about who they voted for this year, the Heisman’s exclusive fraternity, their favorite memory of the ceremony and where they keep their bronze statues today (run time is 11:22; transcript below the jump).
Lost Lettermen: This is Jim Weber from LostLettermen.com and I’m joined by 1990 Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer and ’93 Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward.
Guys, thanks for joining us. I’d like to start off by asking who did you guys vote for and why? Ty, I’ll start with you.
Ty Detmer: Well, I voted for Colt McCoy this year. I felt like he got his team where they need to be. Didn’t have a real good outing the other night but, kind of did it all for Texas. He ran; I think he was the leading rusher again. And he just gets his team ahead at all times and just I felt he had a great year.
LL: Charlie, how about you?
Charlie Ward: I went with Mark Ingram No. 1 and Colt was No. 2. Mark Ingram, it’s hard to go wrong with Mark or Colt because they both have their teams in the Championship game and they’ve done all that they could do to put themselves in a position to be the best player in the country.
I just thought Mark Ingram had a very good game the last game. A pretty dominating performance by him and his team was very successful.
LL: Guys, I know a lot of people are saying that it’s actually working against Colt McCoy that so many quarterbacks have won in recent years. Do you think that’s a factor he has to overcome to win?
TD: I don’t think so. I think people are just looking at it, who’s having the best year. When the ballots are in people’s hands they really start paying attention and, like Charlie says, Mark Ingram had a great year and a great game in the SEC Championship and people have the ballots in their hand and it’s time to be playing in a big game and have a good game at that.
I don’t think people look at the positions or who’s won it in the past. I think they just kind of go off of who’s most deserving this year.
LL: Charlie, what’s your thought on that?
CW: Well, I mean, people I’m sure they’re handling it like everyone else and they start looking at history and those types of things but, it’s just, it’s hard for another position to pretty much dominate when teams can send their defenses toward the running back or wide receiver and take a guy out of the game. But at the quarterback position, you try to do that and you can burn them with the pass or the run. So it’s kind of hard to kind of take a quarterback out of his game week in and week out.
So that’s kind of what it really comes down to in the long run. Quarterbacks are the ones who have the balls in their hands the majority of the time and their able to make plays regardless of what the defense does but any other position can definitely be taken out of one or two games. So that’s the way it’s been.
LL: Right. Will you guys be in attendance this weekend in New York City? Charlie?
CW: Yes, I’ll be there the entire weekend.
LL: How about you Ty?
TD: I unfortunately am going to miss this year. I’ve been to stuff the last four years I think every year and I had some family commitments this year that had to come up and unfortunately am not going to be there.
LL: What’s it like when you guys go back? You obviously seem to know each other. How well do you get to know the other guys in part of this exclusive fraternity?
CW: Well, we have a few events during the year to get a chance to sit around and catch up with guys. It’s always very eventful when you get together with former winners and you hear all the stories of whatever they’re doing today or what their colleges are doing or whatever the case may be. That’s always fun.
TD: Yeah, I agree with Charlie. It’s a lot of fun to get to know guys on a personal level. For me, growing up watching football, you got to know some of these guys just by watching them on TV and then you get a chance in New York to sit down and really talk to them, pick their brain on some of their life experiences and some of those things they’re doing.
It’s just a lot of fun to get to know guys on a personal level.
LL: Going back to when you guys won the Heisman Trophy: Ty, what’s your favorite memory from being in New York and that whole weekend, which I’m sure was a whirlwind for you?
TD: Well, they have a dinner that’s pretty much exclusive to the winners and their families. And it’s usually Sunday evening before the award; the trophy is presented to the player at the big dinner.
To me that was the most fun part because it’s just kind of the guys there and the people from the Heisman Trophy trust and it’s a real intimate experience. Guys get to cutting up a little bit and you get to see different personalities and that’s something I’ll always remember is that dinner with all the other former winners and just getting to really know them and it’s a real intimate setting.
LL: Charlie, was that your favorite moment or does something else stand out to you?
CW: My favorite moment, I guess, is the experience. I came from Thomasville, Georgia by way of Tallahassee during that time and heading to New York was an eye-opening experience within itself. And to have the opportunity to be with all of my family and also with the past Heisman winners, as Ty mentioned earlier, the people you kind of watched growing up and it was just a neat experience to be in the presence of those guys and joining their fraternity.
LL: Guys, obviously everyone knows the tension involved with the opening of the envelope. How nerve wracking was that moment for you guys and have you experienced anything like that? Ty, I’ll start with you.
TD: Well, we were getting ready to play a game in Hawaii so I was on via satellite but just the build up leading up to it and the media tension and then setting up the live feed and all your teammates are around.
It was something where you kind of just have a pit in your stomach all day. Didn’t want to disappoint them (laughs), throwing a big party and everything. So it’s pretty nerve wracking but you really don’t have any control over it. You feel like you’re just privileged to be in that position and be one of the finalists to begin with. And then to have that envelope open and to hear your name read is something pretty special.
LL: Charlie, what was that moment like for you?
CW: It was a great opportunity. One of the things I’ll … I approach life and game situations the same as any other situation. To give yourself an opportunity to be there, your teammates helped you give yourself the opportunity to be there so whether my name was called or not called, it really wasn’t going to change what I was or what I had been a part of as far as the season. But (inaudible) I was able to just be a part of the Heisman … but it really wasn’t nerve wracking because that wasn’t my goal coming into the season. It was to win a national championship and we had an opportunity to do that.
I mean all these other things were like icing on the cake so I was grateful to have had the opportunity to be there and have that opportunity to be a part of a great fraternity.
LL: Yeah, obviously going to the Elite Eight and winning a national championship and a Heisman Trophy all in the same year was quite an accomplishment.
The last question I have for you guys is where do you guys have the trophy now? Have you guys built a shrine to it in your homes or is it something more low key to you? Charlie I’ll start with you.
CW: Well mine’s in my hometown in the public library. It’s been there since I received it and I have it there because I don’t want people coming to my house to watch it, I mean, com and see it, one. And two, a lot more people that can enjoy it because that’s a big accomplishment for our city of Thomasville and a lot more people can see it when they come in to Thomasville. So that’s kind of where it’s been and probably where it’ll stay.
LL: Ty, how about you?
TD: I’ve got mine kind of tucked into a back room off an office here in my house, where I can close the door and if somebody wants to see it (or) they’re over I can take them back in there but I don’t have it just sitting out in everybody’s face when they walk in the room.
It’s something you’re proud of but at the same time it’s not just something you’re toting around and showing off every day. I have it tucked back in there where if somebody wants to see I can take them in there. But they won’t have to come in and (laughs) see it all the time.
LL: Right. Alright guys, thanks so much for your time. I really appreciate it and we’ll speak to you again soon.
Both: Alright.
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