Dominate the Super Bowl

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The NCAA season has come to a close, and as teams begin preparations for the new season during the offseason, the League awards and nationwide accolades are announced, serving as a summary of the NCAA season and as a prelude to the upcoming NFL Draft.

Among these, the Heisman Trophy, the NCAA's highest honor, is undoubtedly the jewel in the crown (Note 1).

Like football's Ballon d'Or, the Heisman Trophy is decided by votes from professional journalists, previous award recipients, and additionally, the sponsor of the Heisman Trophy, Nissan, which has one vote. They conduct fan voting on ESPN, where fans make their selections, ultimately accounting for one vote in the evaluation process.

Each voter can select three players as candidates, and must rank them in order. The first place gets 3 points, second place 2 points, and third place 1 point. The winner is determined by tallying these points.

Since its inception in 1935, the Heisman Trophy has reached its eighty-first year in the blink of an eye. As the most historically significant and authoritative award in college sports, countless college players regard the Heisman as their ultimate goal.

This year is no exception.

Li Wei, Lamar Jackson, DeShaun Watson, Baker Mayfield, Christian McCaffrey, Jake Browning, and many others fiercely competed throughout the season. Their performances even drew the attention of the NFL, with professional players casting their gazes and monitoring their progress.

Yet, the reality is that college football and professional football are two different systems. It's not an exaggeration to say they are "quite distinct" or "quite distant" from each other. A strong performance on the college field does not guarantee success in the professional arena. Often, the expectations that come with the Heisman Trophy become a shackle limiting performance.

Since the new millennium, the Heisman Trophy has been turning into a "curse".

In 2000, quarterback Chris Weinke won the Heisman Trophy and was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth round of the following year's draft. After winning his first starting game, he lost seventeen consecutive games. Once he lost his starting spot, he faded into obscurity.

In 2003, quarterback Jason White clinched the Heisman Trophy but went undrafted in 2005. He didn't even have the chance to try out for an NFL team, making him the only Heisman recipient in history without a professional football opportunity—

Incidentally, he's also the third Heisman winner in history to go undrafted.

Eventually, the Tennessee Titans expressed interest in signing White, but he declined, citing knee injuries, and subsequently retired.

In 2006, quarterback Troy Smith won the Heisman Trophy with a historic 91.63% of the vote. However, a loss in the national championship game and his 6-foot (180 cm) height sent his draft stock plummeting. He wasn't picked until the fifth round by the Baltimore Ravens. His entire professional career was a struggle between starting and being a backup, with injuries making him bounce between multiple teams.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

In 2007, quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow was once the unparalleled college football prodigy, even Cam Newton was his backup. But after turning pro, he couldn't adapt to the complex tactical systems, and his inherent lack of passing ability became his ceiling—

Latterly, he retired early, ventured into commentating, baseball, and other areas, becoming a very vocal figure.

Beyond that, Sam Bradford of 2008, Mark Ingram of 2009, and Robert Griffin III of 2011 all had their careers wax and wane due to serious injuries. Johnny Manziel of 2012 became an example of what not to do, as he couldn't grasp tactics.

Over the past fifteen years, except for the most recent two recipients who have just begun their careers in the Professional League and thus are too soon to judge, only Carson Palmer of 2002 and Cam Newton of 2010 are players worth mentioning.

All at once, "the curse of the Heisman" became the ominous cloud over the football field.

Of course, that being said, whether it's the NCAA or the NFL, the spotlight remains steadfastly on the Heisman Trophy each year, and no one wants to miss out.

Even though talk of the "curse" surfaces annually, the Heisman selection list remains a critical reference for all teams before the draft year after year.

This year is no different—

Jackson led the entire season but stumbled at the last moment.

Li Wei performed impeccably throughout the season, but as a running back who was also a rookie stepping onto the football field for the first time, his situation was unique.

Watson added points for being a quarterback and had an outstanding season, but faced a last-second defeat in the national championship.

So, who will prevail?

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The answer was revealed.

Li Wei!

It was unexpected, yet not entirely surprising.

For the second consecutive year, a player from the University of Alabama had ascended to the Heisman Trophy, marking the third Heisman for the Crimson Tide Storm in history—all three won by running backs. After quarterbacks dominated the award for five consecutive years, running backs had now achieved back-to-back victories in the Heisman balloting.

Among a series of historical records, the fact that an Asian player won the Heisman Trophy for the first time was undoubtedly a real breakthrough moment, one that captured the front pages and headlines of major newspapers and magazines.

However, the truly staggering aspect was the voting percentage.

Strictly speaking, Li Wei winning the Heisman Trophy was a pleasant surprise but not a shock, as Saban and Donald had pointed out; Li Wei's performance was clear for all to see—

Aside from the Heisman Trophy, Li Wei had already raked in a series of honors.

The Maxwell Award, Associated Press Player of the Year, Walter Camp Player of the Year, CBS Sports Person of the Year, Southeastern Conference Rookie of the Year, and Player of the Year along with nine All-America First Team appearances across various platforms and channels, displaying sheer domination.

From the Southeastern Conference to the entire NCAA, Li Wei exhibited supreme domination, extinguishing any suspense about the Heisman Trophy bit by bit.

Yet, the actual voting outcome was what truly shocked and astounded everyone.

93.8%, 2608 points.

Li Wei swept the voting with an overwhelmingly dominant display. Whether it was Jackson or Watson, they hardly stood a chance against him, and in the end, Li Wei surpassed both Reggie Bush and Troy Smith to set the record for the highest voting percentage in the eighty-one-year history of the Heisman Trophy.

What does domination look like?

What does it mean to sweep all before you?

Initially, many speculated that there would be a fierce battle among Li Wei, Jackson, and Watson, with a potentially very close vote.

The result? This?

A stunned silence fell.

After the Heisman Trophy results were announced, Li Wei also officially declared for the first time that he would enter the 2017 draft.

A single stone caused a thousand ripples!

This decision was not unexpected. People were prepared for it, simply waiting for Li Wei to make the announcement. After all, the level of dominance he demonstrated was truly frightening, even breaking a series of records set by Derrick Henry last year. His move to the Professional League was the natural next step.

But people wondered—

Could Li Wei break the "Heisman curse"?

Especially as a rookie like him, who had been involved in football for only a short year and was now transitioning from the NCAA to the NFL, the situation was even more difficult and challenging. Could Li Wei handle the pressure?

The suspense slowly started to unfold.

Note: The Heisman Trophy results are announced in early December each year. To fit the narrative needs, some adjustments have been made here.