The most interesting part of Saturday’s historic night?
No one saw it coming. At least before the season started.
Saturday night in New York, Mark Ingram picked up the first Heisman Trophy to be won by a Crimson Tide player. There wasn’t too much history left to be made by the greatest, most storied college football program of all time – except, of course, the addition of that coveted trophy. Bama’s relentless, yet humble, sophomore running back took care of that last bit of history this weekend.
Interestingly, Ingram was supposed to be a back-up again this season. He was the Tide’s No. 2 running back behind then-junior Glen Coffee last year, and with Coffee coming off a strong 1,300-yard plus rushing season as a junior, there was little doubt Coffee would be the starter again in ’09. Well, he would have been. Instead, Coffee elected to go pro early.
Ingram, by default, became the Tide’s No. 1 running back in the spring.
But Ingram wasn’t the Alabama running back getting the attention last spring or summer. That distinction belonged to super signee Trent Richardson, the No. 1 running back prospect in the country the Tide inked last February. Some thought Ingram wouldn’t even be able to keep the starting job this season, that Richardson would supplant him before the year was over. If told before the season that an Alabama running back would win the Heisman in ’09, it’s a good bet most would have predicted it to be Richardson.
Ingram wasn’t the Alabama sophomore getting the attention last spring or summer either. That distinction belonged to receiver Julio Jones, the super-hyped ’08 signee who was coming off an impressive freshman season. Jones, who wasn’t even completely healthy in ’08, seemed poised for an even bigger breakout year in ’09. If told before the season that an Alabama sophomore would win the Heisman in ’09, it’s a good bet most would have predicted it to be Jones.
Ingram, who didn’t even earn one of the two running back spots on the preseason All-SEC team, wasn’t even sure if he was going to play in Alabama’s season-opener. That whole fishing trip-NCAA saga hung over his head.
The Heisman radar back in late August? Ingram wasn’t even a microscopic blip on the edge of the screen.
Then ...
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